A Chance Meeting
by ArcaneSmith
Summary: Astrid couldn't believe Ruffnut convinced her to go to a bar on Thanksgiving, but here she was. Modern AU. I suck at summaries so you'll have to read if you want to find out more. (Formerly known as a An Unexpected Visitor)
1. Chapter 1

I knew I wouldn't be able to drive home after the alcohol started making halos around the ceiling lights. I would never admit it to my friends (although I was positive they knew), but I was a certified lightweight. Three beers were more than enough to mess with my motor functions. And I'd had five.

"Hey Astrid! Want another beer?" Ruffnut asked. Her smile was broad and seemingly innocent, but I saw through it instantly. She'd been my friend since before I could remember and knew that I was pretty tipsy already. She also knew that I'd never back down from a challenge, especially not in public.

"Hand it over!" The words came out slightly slurred. I should stop. I'd already need a good hour or two before I could even consider driving home. Good thing Ruffnut had promised to pay for a Uber. She knew money had been tight for me the past few months.

I chugged the beer all in one go, refusing to break eye contact with her. The beer was nicely chilled from the tap but tasted terrible. To be honest, I don't even care for alcohol that much. I just hate being called a party pooper.

Ruffnut gave a whoop before turning her attention back to the piece of eye candy she'd been drooling at. I'd had enough and excused myself to go to the bathroom. You know that stereotype that guys bathrooms are always so much worse than girls' bathrooms? Well that was _not_ the case here. It reeked. Graffiti was splattered around the walls and there were a few mystery puddles around the toilet. How could someone miss the toilet if they were literally sitting on it?

And the smell. Oh God, the smell. It reeked. I almost vomited into the trashcans by the sink. It was safe to bet that these restrooms hadn't had a single cleaning since the bar opened. The smell of urine mixed with cigarette smoke; it was not a good combination. And to top it all off, there was the distinct smell of weed that seemed to cut through it all.

I pulled out my phone after I selected the safest stall to sit in. It wasn't actually clean by any definition of the word, it was just the least offensive option. There was a missed call from my dad and a text from my mom.

_Happy Thanksgiving! So sorry you couldn't make it home for the holidays. Stay safe!_

I sighed. I'd wanted to come home and enjoy a nice meal with my family, but the restaurant I was waitressing for wouldn't give me enough days off to make it worth the money. So here I was, at a bar on thanksgiving night. Drunk. Mom would be so proud.

I sent a quick reply saying that I missed everyone and that I would definitely be home for Christmas. After using the restroom, I stumbled upwards and almost fell trying to put my pants back up. Stupid skinny jeans, or maybe I'd just gained a little weight. It was hard to tell.

I walked past the urinals to wash my hands off in the sink. The water from the sink was tinted brown and I don't think it was because the establishment dyed it trying to be festive. Deciding my hands would probably be cleaner without using the contaminated water, I just rubbed them on my pants.

I opened the door back to the bar and held the door open for a man. Oh. I got back to my stool at the bar completely red faced. I turned to Ruffnut to ask if we could leave (and maybe never ever come back), but she wasn't there. I looked around to see if she had gone to sit with the man from across the bar but he was gone too.

_Shit._

She'd left me. She knew I didn't have a car and couldn't waste my money on an uber. Jerk.

Deciding to deal with her when I was sober so I wouldn't jumble up my words and make a fool of myself, I grabbed my coat, closed Ruffs tab, and walked out.

It was a little chilly out; the sun had set since I last saw it. I'd only brought a light jacket with me and shivered as the cold wind nipped at my nose. I would've brought something warmer if I'd known that I would be walking home. I didn't even have gloves so I stuck hands in my armpits to keep them warm.

If I remembered correctly, I needed to take a left from the front door. Then a left at the Subway, and a right at the bank. I'd been to this bar enough times to notice some landmarks and it was a pretty simple route. Still, it was a good twenty-minute walk. I sighed, at least it was too early in the year for snow.

Damn Ruffnut. This was all her fault; I barely even wanted to go out tonight. Would've been more than happy ordering McDonalds or something and watching television curled up in a soft blanket. There were plenty of new movies I'd been too busy to see.

Coming up on a Subway, I hanged a left. Was it dangerous for a girl to walk alone on these streets at this time of night? At this time of year? I mean, anyone who I would run in to isn't at home with their family on Thanksgiving.

What if someone was following me? I didn't want to look behind me and check because that would mean I was onto them. What a jerk, taking advantage of a drunk blonde girl during the holiday season. What if they wanted to kidnap me? Would they sell me to the highest bidder? My family would never know what happened to their little dau-

Wham. I screamed in abject terror as I slammed into someone. I fell backwards and immediately started crawling away.

"Stay back!" I slurred, "Don't kidnap me, not on Thanksgiving!"

"Woahhh there, Kidnap you?" It was a man. Men kidnapped more women than women did. Probably. "Aren't you the one that walked into me?"

I looked up; his face was a blur because of the streetlight behind him was blindingly bright. He took a step forward and held his hand out. His face slowly came into focus and he certainly didn't look like a human trafficker. He had shaggy auburn hair with the greenest eyes I'd ever seen. They were like an ocean, but with trees. An ocean of trees – no, wait – a _forest_ of trees. I mentally slapped myself. Idiot.

And his face seemed… warm? Maybe it was the alcohol, but his face just seemed inviting. Like he was just waiting for an excuse to smile. He wasn't very buff, which was a good thing to me. Skinny people didn't have the muscle to pick people off the streets, and boy was he skinny.

With a little flush of embarrassment, I realized his hand was still outstretched. _If I die tonight, I hope Ruffnut feels guilty_, I thought as I grabbed it and he pulled me to my feet. I mumbled my thanks as I tried to stop my head from spinning. He may be skinny, but he had no trouble pulling me up so fast it felt like I had vertigo. Whatever vertigo was.

"Shouldn't you be with your family? It is Thanksgiving, after all." That was almost exactly what I was going to ask him. Maybe he's scared of getting mugged, too.

"My job stopped me from going home so I let my friend drag me to a bar." It sounded so pathetic, saying that I spent the holiday that is all about family drinking. He gave a slight chuckle. It was a nice sound.

"That explains a lot, actually. To be honest, I thought you were just super clumsy."

"Hey!" He laughed again and a small smile appeared on his clean-shaven face. I decided that that was also nice. It diminished slightly as he looked around.

"Where is your friend, anyways?" My face turned as red as a tomato. I don't know why I was embarrassed with my friend's actions. I was the victim.

"She um… left me to go get laid." His eyes opened so wide it was almost comical.

"What? Really? That's ridiculous. Where do you live?"

"Just around the corner now." Well that probably wasn't something I should tell a stranger. Whatever, I couldn't take the words back. At least he didn't know what apartment I lived in.

"Well that's not too far from where I live and I was heading in that direction anyways. What do you say I walk with you so I can rest easy tonight knowing you got home safely?"

"Wha? No way, I'd hate to be a burden."

"A burden? You'd be doing me a favor. I don't know if I'd be able to sleep not knowing whether or not you got home safely. Plus people are less likely to kidnap people who aren't alone."

"Bu-but you don't even know me." What was he thinking? He couldn't be serious.

"I know you're the drunk girl that ran into me because her friend ditched her. That's enough for me. Come on, let's get you home." I didn't even know his name, and I was only 98% sure he didn't want to harvest my organs, but my heart was already melting. I couldn't think of a single person who I would consider a friend who would do something like this for a complete a stranger.

"I… I don't know what to sa-" I let out a little hiccup "Excuse me, I must have the hiccups. I should be fin-" that was as far as I got before I puked. Mystery man was instantly by my side and sitting me down.

I felt so tired – no I felt sleepy – no wait, I _was _asleep.

Ughhh… head… groggy.

Ask anyone what the worst part of drinking and they'll definitely say it's the hangover.

Or being the reason your significant other left you.

For me, it was the first reason. I've had worse hangovers, but this one was probably top five. Thinking of other times I was hangover made this one feel worse. Stupid brain. I rolled onto my back and was hit with a blast of bright light.

I'm almost too embarrassed to admit that I _may_ have actually hissed at a sunrise. I quickly yanked the blanket over my head. Of course I wasn't ready for that much movement and was rewarded with a slight bout of nausea.

I decided the best course of action would be to just lay in bed for a few more minutes. Or maybe forever, this bed was nice and comfy.

My eyes shot open. My bed was as comfy as a bale of hay. This was _not_ my bed. And to further prove my point, the window in my room faced west so it got the sunset not the sunrise.

Okay, what happened last night?

I… went drinking with Ruffnut. Am I at her house? No, she abandoned me. She'd gone after that stranger.

Stranger.

I'd met a stranger on the way home. He had been nice, was it a ruse? Did he drug me? I shook my head slightly; that was probably the alcohol. Was I at his house? That seemed equally as unlikely. It was one thing to walk a stranger home. It was a completely different thing to let them into your home. There was no way he was that nice. Maybe he'd left me on someone's doorstep.

Only one way to find out. I sat up in bed and was surprised to see I wasn't wearing what I was expecting. I'd left wearing a scarlet red tight-fitting shirt, but now I was wearing a baggy gray shirt. It was admittedly comfortable and soft, but the thought of how it got on me was very concerning. I realized with relief that it looked like I was still wearing the same pair of skinny jeans I'd left the house with.

With my face flushed, I decided to get to the bottom of this. No one, and I mean _no one_, takes advantage of me like this.

"HEY!" I slammed open my door and nearly threw up. I was on my hands and knees as fast as I'd got up.

"Hey." A voice replied from somewhere in the apartment. It was the man from last night, or at least I'm pretty sure it was him. Last night was still a little foggy. "Wow, you look terrible. Want some breakfast?"

I blinked. What?

I didn't realize I'd said that last word out loud until he came over with a plate with eggs, bacon, and toast.

"Hope you like your eggs over easy."

"But… my shirt?" I'd been so angry just a few moments ago, what happened? How could a simple meal defuse me so fast?

"Oh. That." His face flushed. At least he had the decency to feel embarrassed about violating my personal space. "I didn't want you to have to sleep with a shirt covered in vomit. I- I didn't um… look or anything. I made sure to avoid your um… womanly parts."

"Well, um… thank you, I guess." He set the plate on the little table off to the corner. I got up more slowly this time and took a seat.

I was so hungry. All it took was one hesitant bite of the crispy bacon before I was shoveling it down.

"Here is some jam for the toast and some grape juice. The natural sugars can help with your hangover." I took a grateful sip from the juice and sighed. Why drink beer when grape juice is so crisp?

"So, I have a few questions about last night." He said. "But I want to start with your name. I've been calling you strange woman in my head and it's getting a little old to tell the truth."

"My name is Astrid, what's yours?" Stephen. No wait, he looked more like a Richard. No, that wasn't quite right either. He looked like a Henry.

"Hiccup."

"I know, I know. I'll probably get hiccups from eating too fast, but what's your name?"

"My name _is _Hiccup."

"Oh." You know how every name has a stereotype? Like how every Karen wants to speak to your mom or how every Stacy is doomed to have a hot mom? Well I'd never imagined anyone named Hiccup. I had no stereotype for him. He couldn't be as bad as a Kyle, though. There was a kid named Kyle in high school and I don't think I ever saw him drink water. It was always energy drinks.

"hey, um, not to be rude" I said, trying not to make it anymore awkward, "but how did you know when I was going to wake up? I mean, you had breakfast already ready."

"So, fun story, that was meant to be my breakfast. You just happened to wake up right when it was done."

"What?!" I'd stolen his meal. Well, he'd voluntarily given it to me, but the end result was the same. "That is not okay. I run into you drunk on the streets, vomit on you and pass out only to find out that you carried me to your apartment so I would have somewhere safe to sleep _and_ now I'm eating your breakfast? You even got me into clean clothes! This is unacceptable."

I got up and headed towards the fridge. There wasn't too much in there but I was able to find eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese.

"What're you doing, Astrid?"

"I'm making you an omelet, assuming you like them. I can put in whatever ingredients you want. I could tell he was going to protest. "It's the least I can do."

He sighed in defeat. He went got some ham out of the fridge and I got to work. I started to chop everything that wasn't eggs into little cubes while I let the pan preheat with a little bit of oil in it. When it was hot enough, I scrambled the eggs and poured them in. after a few seconds I added the rest of the ingredients.

Hiccup wasn't exactly sure what he should be doing. He was just kind of watching me.

"So um, you have a nice apartment."

"It's not actually my apartment. I'm in-between places and my friend is on vacation and said I could crash here while he was gone."

"It was strange enough when I thought I was in the apartment of a stranger I met last night, but it's the apartment of someone I've never met before. Hopefully they don't mind." I wasn't too worried about it; I'd be long gone by the time they got back. Although, Hiccup would. I was only thinking of myself. "They won't mind, will they Hiccup? I can leave now if you need me to."

"Don't worry about it, I called them last night after you passed out to make sure they were okay with it. Even if they weren't, I still would've brought you here; there was no way I'd just leave someone on the street like that."

Damn him, he was so… nice. He was willing to upset the person whose roof he was currently under just to make sure I was comfortable. I turned back to the omelet to hide the slight blush on my cheeks. It was just about ready.

I slid it onto a plate and topped it off with a little bit of cheese.

"It's a good thing you like omelets; it's one of the very few things I can cook without burning the house down." Hiccup cut a small piece and put it in his mouth.

"Wow, this is really good." Hiccup smiled and I could see a piece of spinach was stuck in his teeth. "Thank you, Astrid." I decided to just to let it stay in his teeth. It didn't bother me and the lull in conversation as Hiccup ate breakfast wasn't an uncomfortable one.

After he finished, Hiccup took both of our plates to the sink and started to wash them off.

"The one downside of this place is that it doesn't have a dishwasher." I got up to help him but he waved his hand at me. "It's only a few dishes, I can handle it."

"I helped make these dishes dirty, it's only fair I help clean them too." He looked like he was about to protest, but one look at my face and he realized that I _would_ be helping.

"Here's a towel. You can dry." I took the towel and the plate he'd just washed in the sink and got to work. We worked well as a team and soon enough we were sitting at the table again sipping on cups of coffee.

"I still don't get it, though." I said, taking another sip. I'd put a sugar cube and a splash of milk into my cup. Black coffee was just too strong for me. Hiccup, on the other hand, seemed to like the bitterness of it. "Why would you go through all this trouble for me? I could've been tricking you or just been a terrible person.

"Don't think I'm not super grateful," I hurried, not wanting to give him the wrong impression, "Because I am. Really."

"In my experience, a lot of people are only mean if you do something that upsets them. Now, to be fair, what upsets someone probably won't upset someone else but I'm pretty sure that anyone would be thankful to sleep in a bed and not outside." I shivered involuntarily; it had been windy last night. I may not have died, but I sure would've been very uncomfortable at the least.

"Well, thank you." I glanced at my phone and nearly spat out my coffee. It was 10:45!

"Oh man!" I scrambled up and started getting my things together. "I had no idea it was so late! I have work at eleven and I _Cannot_ lose this job." I absolutely hated waitressing, but student loans weren't going to pay themselves off.

"Your shirt is still in the washer. Hopefully you don't mind it being wet and soapy." Hiccup disappeared into one of the side rooms and came back out with a grocery bag tied in a knot. "Don't let it stay in there for too long, it needs to dry out so mold doesn't form or anything."

"Thank you, Hiccup, for everything." I pulled him into a quick hug and ran out the door.

**AN: And that's chapter 1! I usually try and update once a week, but this story isn't my main focus (that would be editing my other Fanfic, you should definitely go check that out if you haven't already) so no promises. If you guys like the story, please let me know! It will definitely encourage me to write more of it.**

**As for the title of this story, I hate it. When I first started writing this, it was a completely different story. I want to change it but I can't for the life of me think of a good title so it's staying until you guys come up with a better one.**


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm such an idiot!"

"Because you forgot to get his number?" I sighed. It'd been three days since Hiccup took me in for the night and I hadn't seen him since. I'd been so worried about losing my job that all I really knew about him was his name.

I also knew what apartment building he was staying in, but that was pretty much useless since someone had to buzz you into the front door and I had no idea what room he was in. I could weight by the front door for hours and hours, but that was just pathetic.

Ruffnut had sent a half-assed apology the next day. I could tell she didn't really mean it because she didn't even wait for me to reply before she started texting me all the details from her night. Her way of making things up to me was inviting me to a coffee shop a few days later. I was still upset with her, but coffee was coffee.

"Why do you even want to see him again? Is it because you want something a little more… physical out of him?" I blanched at her suggestive wink. But she had a point, why was I so eager to see him again?

Did I want to say thank you again? I'd tried to hand him a twenty as I left but he'd refused it.

Damn him for being so… so generous! It was infuriating.

"I don't know, I just want to make it up to him – and NOT in the way you're insinuating!" Ruffnut held her hands up in mock surrender. "And don't think you're off the hook for abandoning me either! I can't believe you just left me like that."

I wanted to act like I wasn't hurt by her actions. That I was able to shrug off what happened, but I couldn't. Ruff, the person I consider to be my best friend, valued a piece of meat over me. Was I not worth anything in her eyes? I always knew she was a little self-absorbed, but this was a completely different level.

"I already said I was sorry, geez." And she wasn't even taking me seriously! Maybe I'm overacting, but a real friend wouldn't blow me off entirely like that. I couldn't be here anymore.

"I – I need to go; I start work soon." It was a total lie, but Ruff was seriously getting on my nerves.

"I thought you weren't on the clock for another hour?" Ruffnut's eyes narrowed. I was more than a little surprised, and a little touched, that she knew my schedule. I must be desperate for attention or something, because suddenly Ruff wasn't on my nerves anymore.

"Usually, but they're short staffed today." I actually felt a little bad for lying now, but I was committed now. I grabbed my coat, paid for my coffee and walked out.

"Hey! Wait up. Let me walk you to your job." Ruff materialized next to me, slipping her winter gloves on. Don't get me wrong, it was super nice that she wanted to spend more time with me, but now wasn't exactly the best time since she could find out that I had lied to her.

"Don't want any spooky men to kidnap you." My face flushed with embarrassment. Not only was she unknowingly calling my bluff but now she was mocking my insecurities! Of course Ruff _had_ to say that right after being a decent human being. I'd mistakenly assumed that she still had something more substantial beneath the surface.

I wiped the start of a tear before it could form, there was no way I was giving her anything else to make fun of. That was it. That comment was the straw that broke the camels back. I was just about to tell her to get lost before I had a heartbreaking revelation. Without Ruffnut, I had no one.

I hadn't bothered to keep up with any of the friends I'd made in college. I was too focused on making sure that I got every single dollars' worth from that place to make any serious connections anyways. My mom would always say that college were some of the best years of her life. My godmother was her roommate for all four years. My roommates were all party animals who always smelt of booze and weed. I couldn't relate to them and so college was never anything more than a means to an end. Ruffnut was the only person who I talked to. Would it be worse to have someone that makes you feel like a joke, or to have no one at all?

Most people would say the first option, but they probably have more friends than I have fingers and toes. They didn't fully comprehend how isolating being alone truly was. Not having anyone to confide in besides your mom. Not having anyone to celebrate with. I couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough to live that lifestyle.

"Thanks." I mumbled. Now more than ever I wished Hiccup was here.

"So, you never told me what your savior looked like. I mean, with a name like Hiccup, I assume he was as thin as a toothpick."

"He's skinny, but I wouldn't say he's underweight. He was able to carry me to his apartment after I passed out, though, so he must have a little muscle."

"Oh well." Ruff sighed, "I like my men with a lot of meat on them. I guess you can have him. What else?"

"First off, He's not mine." Back in high school, we used to make fun of the cheerleaders. Most of them were the stereotypical dumber than a rock blonde (be it natural blonde or dyed). Did Ruff not realize that she was slowly becoming that shallow? All she seemed to care about were desperate men. Big desperate sweaty man to be precise.

"Second off, he's tall, around the six-foot mark. He has auburn hair that's on the verge of being too long, but it suites him. He has a warm face, too." That last part wasn't supposed to come out. It was so left field. I didn't realize I'd stopped moving until I heard Ruffnuts rambunctious laughter.

"A warm face? Oh man, that is rich! You totally fell for him"

"I did not fall for him." I huffed indignantly.

"Don't kid yourself, this is a classic case of Stockholm syndrome!"

"He didn't kidnap me!" I exploded. It was so sudden the girl in front of us dropped her bright yellow hydro flask.

"Hey! There's a dent in my water bottle now." I tried to apologize, but she just huffed and stormed away.

"He didn't kidnap me," I repeated, without the intensity that had overcome me a few seconds ago. "He took me in instead of leaving me passed out on the streets. He was there for me when you weren't."

We walked in silence the rest of the way to Glorious Burgers. Being a cashier here didn't pay as well as my waitressing job, but every dollar counted.

"Alright, I just gotta go in and pee and then I'll head out." I shook my head. Protests and excuses lined my throat ready to dissuade her, but I knew anything I said would make me look suspicious. Whatever happened now was out of my control, so I held the door for her as we walked in.

Booker, the chef, was behind the counter taking orders. Anyone who knew him called him Books because he'd always boast that he'd never read one from start to finish. He was a big, broad man with skin as dark as licorice. He had a thick southern drawl that occasionally made it hard to understand his nonstop barrage of lighthearted jokes and wisecracks. His burgers were also some of the best she'd ever tasted (and with my employee discount, I'd had plenty of them).

"Astrid? Wha-"

"Just checking in!" I quickly interrupted. "I'd heard that you guys were understaffed." I gave him a little wink in the hopes that he would play along.

He nodded slowly as Ruff gave me a suspicious glance. She walked off to the bathroom without saying anything, though.

"Must be my lucky day Astrid, because Heather didn't show up for her shift and we actually are Understaffed." Booker said with a light laugh. "I thought to myself, sure wish someone would help me out and there you go walking through the door!

"And don't you worry, I'll make sure you get your money's worth for this."

"Thank you so much, Books, you totally saved my bacon."

"Speaking of bacon…" Booker retreated back into his oasis, presumably to start cooking the order he'd just taken. I quickly changed into my uniform, simple black shirt and baseball cap with the company's logo on them and took control of the cash register.

Ruffnut left after a quick goodbye and after the lunch rush died down it was just me and my thoughts. Was Ruffnut a bad friend? I decided to write a pros and cons list on one of the little order sheets.

Pro's: I'd known me for years. She'd been there for me when the few people I tried to date broke up with me. She was always encouraging me to go out to places and be social.

Con's: she was only available on her time. She almost never went out of her way to cheer me up. Whenever we did go out, it was so that I could be her wingman.

I knew the best thing for me would be to put a little distance in between us, but I didn't want to push her so far away that we stopped talking entirely.

"So, why'd you show up here so early?" Booker strolled out of the kitchen after the he'd finished the last order. "I know it wasn't just so you could see me." I couldn't hold back my laughter as he rolled his shoulders and gave a little wink.

"It was nothing. My friend just hurt my feelings a little so I used work as an excuse to get some space."

"Yeah, I been there, although usually I was trying to get away because they couldn't keep their hands off me!" Books laugh was contagious. It was deep and resonant when he let loose. Tears formed in my eyes from laughing as he lightly elbowed me.

"Uh huh. I'm sure you were beating them away with a spatula." He gave a little pout, but the smile was still in his eyes.

Those eyes wondered to the paper I'd written my thoughts down on. I didn't mind if he looked; he was older than me and maybe he could help me out. I "Anyways, so the friend that came in with me has just been on my nerves for a while and sometimes I wonder if she still cares about me."

"Look, I don't mean to get all up in your business, but it seems like you have a lot of 'What ifs?' in your friendship. In my experience, confrontations are always better than what ifs. No matter how it ends, the healing process can start sooner instead of being stuck in limbo until your torn apart."

"Wow, that was beautiful – can I get a water?" I spun around so fast that I nearly gave myself whiplash.

"Hiccup?!" There he was, asking for a water. He was wearing a wrinkled gray pullover and his hair looked like it hadn't been washed in a while, but it was definitely Hiccup.

"Astrid? What are you doing here? I thought you were a waitress?"

"I have two jobs. Wha- what are _you _doing here?" I still couldn't believe he was here. Of any store, he chose to come here.

And I wasn't even supposed to be here! My shift didn't officially start for another half hour. I could've missed him!

"I, umm, just came in for a glass of water, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah of course! What else can I get for you?"

"Just the water is fine."

"What? No way. I won't allow that." I turned to Booker, who was watching us with a critical eye. "He'll have a classic." I told him before turning back to Hiccup.

"Do you like pickles or onions?"

"You don't have to do th-"

"I said do you like pickles or onions."

"I can't take your mon-"

"Listen man," Booker cut in. "This is Astrid you're talking to. If she says you're getting a burger then you're getting a burger. This'll go much faster if you just answer her question."

"No – I mean no I don't like pickles. Onions are fine." I paid for his meal with my employee discount, which was against the store policy, but this was for Hiccup. Besides, Book saw me do it and didn't say anything. I grabbed two water cups and filled them up before sitting at one of the booths. Hiccup was still standing by the cashier in shock.

"Are you going to join me or are you just gonna stand there until we close?" He walked over numbly and gingerly took a seat next to me.

"This is too weird." He said. "I never thought I'd see you again and here you are, buying me lunch."

"You made me breakfast, It's the least I can do." He nodded, but his eyes were far away. Something was troubling him. I wanted to ask but we weren't good enough friends.

Hell, we weren't even friends to begin with; just strangers that happened to bump into each other twice.

An awkward silence settled on the table until Booker came out with Hiccups burger. He took a tentative bite before shoving half the thing down at once.

"Woah there! Slow down, partner. Can't have you choke and die by my food – that's bad for business!" Books gave Hiccup a strong pat on the back, as if to unlodge a piece of food stuck in his throat.

It was all in good fun, but Hiccup took noticeably smaller bites and his face looked like he'd been at the beach all day without any sunscreen.

I stole one of his fries. They were my favorite kind; super thin with just a little crunch. I'd tried to do it when he wasn't looking; Ruff was always super protective of her fries. It'd become a game between us, seeing who could steel more of each other's fries without being noticed. I must've succeeded because he didn't say anything.

"So, umm…" I tried to make some sort of conversation to fill the silence, but I knew next to nothing about him. I didn't know any of his hobbies, his interests – his passions. "What do you do for fun?"

"Besides taking in random strangers I find on the street?" I let out a little chuckle. It seemed Hiccup was the master of dry humor. "It's a little lame, but I enjoy reading about history."

"Really? That's not that lame. Did you go to college or anything?"

"Yep. I majored in anthropology with a minor in History. I've always loved seeing where ideas came from and how they evolved as society progressed." His eyes twinkled as he spoke. He moved his hands all over the place in a semi-subconscious to help express the way he felt about his career. It seemed once he started, he couldn't stop himself. It was a never-ending stream of knowledge on the origins of man.

"I tried to specialize in the history of the Vikings with my minor, but my college wouldn't allow me to. General history is probably better in the long run, anyways. It could help me land a bigger range of jobs." It was inspiring just to watch him. It was like he wasn't even talking to me anymore. He was transported to his own little world. "So, what about you? Do you have any hobbies as captivating as history?"

"I majored in English so that I could become a lawyer." Hiccup seemed a little confused, so I explained a little further. "English is regarded as one of the best degrees to get into law school because of how rigorous it can be and the amount of reading and writing you have to do. It also helps learn better ways to interpret and comprehend documents."

"I had no idea that that combo would work, although I shouldn't be surprised. It makes a lot of sense." He dipped a few fries into some ketchup before continuing. "But why a lawyer? Was your dad innocently accused of a wrongdoing?"

"No, my dad is doing just fine. I just wanted to help the people around me, and for me the way to do that is to become a lawyer. Why do people always assume that I have some tragic backstory?"

"Because of all the movies. I mean, I always imagine lawyers as Matt Murdock instead of Foggy Nelson."

"What?" I gave him a blank stare.

"Nothing. Law school sounds soo fun, why aren't you there right now?"

"Money. The bank won't give me another set of loans until I pay off my previous ones because my credit score isn't too good." My dad had offered to help pay for it, but I wanted law school to be solely my achievement. Besides, my parents didn't exactly have money trees growing in the backyard either.

We sat and talked for a good half hour, although every few minutes someone would walk in and I'd have to go man the cash register. I also insisted on getting Hiccup a slice of cheesecake to help repay him for letting me stay the night at his apartment.

All good things must come to an end, though. Before I knew it, Hiccup was walking out the door, although this time I'd snagged his number. I'd told him it was in case I ever needed somewhere to crash. His face fell at the comment and I quickly assured him that I was just joking and that maybe sometime we could get coffee together.

Snow started to fall gently near the end of my shift. I found myself passing the minutes until my shift was over by staring out the window. It wasn't cold enough for the snow to stay on the ground and soon tiny puddles filled the potholes in the street.

"Alright, you're done for the night, Astrid." I'd just finished wiping the tables down when Booker came out from the kitchen.

"But I haven't cleaned the bathrooms yet." I also had to sweep the floor.

"I'll get all that tonight, don't you worry. You got me out of a pickle today and I appreciate it." Books grabbed the broom from me with one hand and gave a shooing motion with the other. "Now get out of here before I fire you."

There was still a smile on my face as I walked out the door. The chilly wind smacked it right off. It was _cold_. There was definitely a cup of hot chocolate in my near future. With marshmallows. And Netflix. All I had to do was endure the ten-minute walk back to my apartment.

I'd gone maybe three blocks when I passed an alley. I always hated this part of the walk because even though my brain told me it was unlikely someone was in there waiting to kill me, I still searched every shadow.

There was a bundle of clothes off to one side of the alley. It looked like some homeless person was trying to survive the night. Normally, I'd keep walking with a guilty heart, but something compelled me to walk over to them. I wasn't sure how exactly I planned on helping them, though. Maybe I could buy them something warm to eat and drink to get them through the night.

Whoever was tucked away in their jacket must've heard me coming because when I was a few feet away, they sprang up.

"Stay back!" He yelled. There was a flash of auburn as his hood fell and I came face to with emerald eyes that I'd only seen on one person before.

"Hiccup?"

**AN: Here's chapter 2! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you guys thought, feedback is always welcome! This story already has more followers than my other one, so thank you so much! I love going through and seeing where the people who view this story are from. **

**Shout out to CajunBear72 for helping create the new title. The next time I update, it will probably be called "A Chance Meeting" unless you guys would rather it stay the current title. It's really up to the masses.**

**See you guys next week!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Hiccup? What – what are you doing here?"

"Astrid?" the menacing aura he was just wielding disappeared so fast that I actually questioned whether or not it'd ever been there. "Oh, hey. I'm just um… taking a little break before walking the rest of way home to my nice warm apartment." He smiled up at me, like everything was just fine. Like he wasn't huddled in an alley.

"Cut the crap, Hiccup." I saw through him instantly. No one just _wanted_ to risk freezing to death. "What are you really doing out here."

"Really, I'll be fin-"

"Hiccup."

"Don't wor-"

"Hiccup!"

"I'm homeless, okay! Are you happy?" It took him to say the magic word before everything clicked into place. The glass of water. Devouring the hamburger. The wrinkled clothes that were getting just a little ragged.

"What? No, I'm not happy! Why would I be happy that your homeless?" How could Hiccup be homeless? He'd been in an apartment not three days ago. "Hiccup, what happened?"

"I got into a little argument with my friend." 

"_What?!"_ I couldn't even fathom what type of argument would make me so angry that I would kick someone out onto the streets. Especially in this weather. "And so they kicked you out?"

"More like I left… It wasn't working out."

"What were you thinking, Hiccup! You could freeze out here idiot! Tell me you have a plan."

"Of course, I have a plan." Hiccup crossed his arms in stubbornness. 'It's called don't freeze."

"Hiccup be serious. You can't stay out here, especially in this weather." There had to be something I could do to help him. "If you don't have anywhere else to stay, then you'll just have to stay with me." His eyes popped open. I didn't mean to say it, but there was no way I was taking it back. He'd already done this sort of thing for me. This was my chance to fully pay him back.

"There's no way I could intrude on you like that." He immediately protested.

"Nonsense. You'd be doing me a favor. I don't know if I'd be able to sleep without being certain you'd survive the night." I held my hand out for him to grab. "Come on, there's hot chocolate waiting for us at home."

"Astrid…"

"Hiccup, there is no way I am letting you stay out here tonight. Either you take my hand willingly, or I drag you there by force." It looked like I might actually have to grab him by his ankle and start pulling, but he grabbed my hand and hauled himself up.

"Lead the way then." The walk back was silent. I had so many questions I wanted answers to, but if I asked them before he was in my apartment he might try and make a run for it. The biggest question on my mind was what could be so important that it was worth freezing for?

The steps up to the front of the apartment complex were super slippery. I nearly lost my footing and I latched onto Hiccups shoulder to stabilize myself. I muttered a quick apology before leading him down the hall.

"Alright, here's my home." I said as I opened the door to my little apartment. "Excuse the mess; I didn't know I'd be taking people off the street when I left this morning." I pointed down the hallway to the left. "There's only one bedroom, but I have a couch and an extra blanket for you if that's alright." I may be letting him stay the night here, but there was no way I could

"That's more than enough, really." I gave him a quick tour of the place before getting his bedding. And by quick, I mean quick. There was one bedroom, one bathroom (with a shower), and a room that was both the living room and the kitchen.

"I hope you like pink." The only other sheets were bright pink with little red hearts on it. They were a gag gift from my dad when I'd first gone to college. I thought Hiccup would complain that he'd have to give his man card up, but he took them gratefully and started to make his bed. It was a little ironic that the first person to use them would be a stranger. A _male_ stranger, too.

Was Hiccup still a stranger? At what point can someone no longer be considered a stranger? I knew his name and where his college major. I knew he liked history. Was that enough? A friend was someone that you enjoyed being around who also enjoyed being around you. All the times I'd spent with him had been almost out of necessity.

If he was to be staying at my home, could I consider him an acquaintance? Or did necessity negate any chance at camaraderie? Would Hiccup and I be friends if we'd met at a bar instead of on the way home from one?

"Hey Hiccup. If you want, you're more than welcome to take a shower. I have some sweats that'd fit you while we throw your clothes in the wash."

I waited until he'd been in the shower for a few minutes before starting the hot chocolate. I grabbed the water boiler from the cupboards and put the cocoa powder in the bottom of two mugs. I grew up putting hot milk in my hot chocolate, but I'd used the last of it a few days ago and had yet to pick up more.

I waited until I heard Hiccup turn the shower off before mixing the two ingredients together. This way the mixture was still hot, but not too hot. I hated burning my tongue because it always got in the way of enjoying whatever food I ate for the next week.

"Thanks for the clothes." Hiccup was wearing a pair of sweatpants with my college's logo and a black shirt that was surprisingly soft. They were some of my favorite clothes to wear around the house in the mornings.

I handed him his mug and laid down on the couch. Just because I had a guest over didn't mean I had to act like a proper lady. Hiccup took one of the chairs by the table. Even after a shower, he still looked tense. His legs were glued together and both hands were gripping his hot chocolate. It was almost as if he was counting the minutes until something went wrong.

"Alright Hiccup, I don't need to know everything that happened, but I do want something. What happened since I last saw you?" He took a slow sip; no doubt considering his next words carefully.

"You're right." He said. "I graduated last spring but was unable to find a job in the region. I didn't want to move far away because my mother is in the hospital so I was stuck looking for jobs in the area. I landed a few dead-end jobs trying to help pay the hospital bills."

"What about your dad, shouldn't he be helping?"

"He died in a sailing accident – and that's not something that my mom used to tell me because he ran away. I barely remember him now, but he was there." Hiccup paused and I looked out the window so he could wipe away the tears that I definitely hadn't seen forming.

"Anyways, a few weeks ago I had to choose between using the leftover money for mortgage or helping my mom. I was homeless for a few days before a friend from college offered me a place to stay until I got back on my feet. She took a weekend cruise with her family for thanksgiving. Let's just say she didn't appreciate me letting some stranger into her house. She felt that her private space had been violated, so I left."

I nearly spit out my drink. Hiccup had lost a house because of me?!

"Hiccup, you can't be serious." I was _not_ worth being homeless. He should've left me alone. Me spending one night outside was better than him spending several. "You should've let me fend for myself!"

"Let me make something clear." Hiccup set his mug down, a rare spark of defiance in his eyes. "I didn't leave because of you. _I_ left because _I_ didn't want to be the kind of person that wouldn't help someone who needed it."

"Why didn't you try to stay at someone else's house?"

"Well… you probably can't tell," He joked," but I am very introverted. My friend Heather was the only person I'd felt comfortable asking."

"If you're an introvert, why did you decide to talk to me when we first met?"

"To be fair, you did run into me. I didn't really have much choice." He gave a small smile to let me know he meant no offense, "And once I saw that you were drunk in a bad part of town, I couldn't just leave you there."

"Oh yeah, I did kind of run into you. Sorry about that." I said. "Well, Mr. introvert, you won't have to ask me. You can stay here for as long as you want to." Hiccups eyes widened.

"No – no I couldn't do that. One night is more than generous. Thank you Astrid, but I wouldn't feel comfortable taking advantage of you like that."

"I know you don't know me that well, but you risked a place to stay so that I could be safe. It really means a lot to me.

"However, I can't afford to buy food for the both of us."

"That's fine, I can help with groceries. I'll also keep the house clean for you." I was about to protest, but I would do the exact same thing if the positions were switched. Hiccup could run if he thought he was taking advantage of me. This way he could at least tell himself he was working for somewhere to sleep.

"Alright, but we split cooking meals."

"Deal."

It was late and I had an early shift tomorrow, but I couldn't sleep. Hiccup and I had talked for a little bit more, but I could tell he was out of it. Being on the streets must've been exhausting so I'd excused myself to get ready for bed and let him be. Hiccup didn't have a toothbrush, and I'd really wanted him to feel as clean as possible, so I'd begrudgingly let him use mine after I'd used it with the promise of him getting his own as soon as possible. I was little bit of a hygiene nazi.

I refluffed my pillow and tried to get comfortable.

I still couldn't believe I'd let someone I barely knew stay with me. He could easily grab a kitchen knife and murder me. What was it about him that made me so sure he wouldn't take advantage of the situation? I've only seen him three times and now he's in my apartment.

I couldn't empathize with him because I'd never been in any situation similar to what he's faced. I could sympathize, sure, but that bond wasn't as strong. Ruffnut had always said that I was the nicer one of us, but that wasn't really a fair competition. Ruff wasn't exactly known for her compassion. In fact, the Thorston twins were known for somehow always having enough money. Ruffs brother, Tuffnut, had a thing for _really_ expensive goat cheese and It was a wonder Ruff hadn't drunk herself into crippling debt.

If I was a wealthy person, I could make a hotel for homeless people. Somewhere that anyone could walk into and have a nice meal and a warm bed to sleep in. people could volunteer to cut peoples hair and donate clothes. it could even have a program to teach people basic skills that could help them get a job.

There were countless reasons why that version of utopia wouldn't work. First off, it would take a near infinite amount of money for even one such hotel to open, let alone a chain of them. Second off, people are greedy. If the masses got wind of a free hotel, any traveler in the area would impersonate a homeless just to save a few bucks. Within days of launch there would be more people taking advantage of the hotel than people who actually needed it.

If humans weren't so self-centered it could work, but human nature is human nature.

I rolled onto my other side to try and get more comfortable. Of course, no one wanted people to live on the streets, but everyone had a different idea on how to accomplish it. Jobs helped people pay for homes, but I'd learned in economics that a well-developed country aimed to have somewhere between 4-6% unemployment rate. Any lower than four percent and they risk hyper-employment.

I groaned in annoyance and rubbed my hands down my face. I should be sleeping, not thinking about how humans would corrupt a utopian society. Tomorrow wasn't a long shift, only five hours, but I had to go to the grocery store and iron all the arrangements for Hiccup staying here.

What would Ruffnut think? Would she say that I finally lost my marbles, or that maybe I was _so_ desperate for a man that I let one in from the streets. On the other hand, maybe she would help me out. Ruff had a surprising amount of connections. She was the one who recommended the burger restaurant to me, after all. I'm sure she could find something to help Hiccup get back on his feet if she felt like it, but that would take a miracle.

You couldn't convince that girl to do anything she didn't want to – or stop her from doing anything she did. Some people thought I was stubborn, but she was on a completely different level. It was problem for another day, though. There wasn't any use worrying about it tonight.

I took a quick glance at my alarm clock. I know almost everyone just used the alarms on their phone, but I liked to keep my dependence on phones to a minimum. Besides, there was something so _adulty_ about having a real alarm clock.

What time was it again? I'd already forgot.

1:47.

Maybe I should take some kind of drug to knock me out. There was NyQuil in the bathroom cabinet. I had to pee again; I could kill two birds with one stone.

I shook the covers off and put on my glasses and a pair extra fuzzy socks, to dampen my footsteps so I didn't wake Hiccup, and opened my door. I crept slowly arcoss the hall to the bathroom. It was weird sneaking around my own apartment, like I was the guest.

Strangely, the light in the living room was still on. Could Hiccup no find the lightswitch? There were right by the door. I tip toed a little farther, and there was Hiccup on the couch reading one of the books from the little library by the TV.

"I take it you couldn't sleep either." He said, not looking up from whatever he was reading.

"I tried, but there was too much on my mind." I took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. When he finished the page, he set the book down and looked at me.

"I didn't know you wore glasses." He said and my hands instinctively grabbed them off my face, as if I could somehow convince him that I hadn't been wearing anything just a few moments ago. One of my best kept secrets was my poor eyesight. I always wore contacts and Ruff was probably the only one besides my family to know about it. I got them in middle school and all it took was one bully to make fun of me to make me commit to contacts until Lasik surgery could make me normal again.

"I didn't mean to offend you, or anything." He put his hands up to show that he meant no harm. "I was just saying that because I guess all the other times I've seen you you've been wearing contacts."

"Yeah, I've been wearing contacts for just about as long as I can remember now." I know it's stupid to be insecure about something as common as wearing glasses, but it's one of the few things about my appearance I can change. "I can't even remember the last time someone saw me wearing these old things."

"Why? They don't transform you into a hideous dragon, or anything. You still look like Astrid to me."

"You're just buttering me up so that I don't throw you back on the streets." I quipped, but my flushed cheeks betrayed me. He could've called thrown a snarky response, but instead he looked over my shoulder and through the window. Some nights you could just make out one or two of the brighter stars through the light pollution of the city, but clouds blanketed the sky tonight.

"I still can't believe I'm in your apartment instead of… out there. I really can't thank you enough."

"Hey," I gingerly grabbed his hand to make him focus on me. His emerald eyes were slightly unfocused, "I didn't mean to remind you of the past. That's not something you need to think about right now."

"No, it's alright. I can tell you're curious about my… adventures." His face still looked troubled, but his eyes were back to normal. It was crazy just how much information were in them; I geuss the eyes really were windows to the soul.

"So, what was it like? Being on the streets." Hiccup sighed and crossed his arms.

"It was eye opening." He said. "you really see peoples true colors. The first night I was out had been especially bad. There was an old lady who yelled at me for making her city look bad and kept telling me to leave. She even tried to spit on me!"

"No way! An old lady?" It was so absurd that I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips. I knew it was a serious topic, but imagining someone's grandma with a walker shaking her fist at someone as harmless as Hiccup was just too much.

"Yeah, laugh it up. Poor old Hiccup gets bullied by a woman." He tried to look hurt, but his lips held the faintest trace of a smile, the edges were just barely tilted up.

"Did she tell you to get off her lawn?" I couldn't help myself. Teasing him was just too much fun. "Or did she yell at you because you were stopping her from watching the newest Wheel of Fortune?"

Hiccup couldn't keep his façade any longer and let out a small chuckle. I, on the other hand, had tears rolling out of my eyes. Maybe it was a sign that I _really _needed to get some sleep.

After a few minutes of trying to regain my composer, I finally managed to stop laughing. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that you never expect to hear something as absurd as that!"

"Mhmm," Hiccup confirmed, nodding his head." I could hardly believe it myself. I'd grown up in this city, and the second I'm homeless it turns it back on me. I'd been so happy when Heather allowed me to stay at her house the next day.

"And so devasted when I'd have to go back." Hiccups eyes watered a little, so I put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. You won't be on the streets ever again if I have anything to say about it."

"Never on the streets again? But how will I get to work? How can I ever get groceries if I'm contained within the confines of an apartment?"

"Haha, very funny."

Hiccup gave a small smile, but his eyes still looked lost in memories.

**AN: hey guys! Sorry about updating a day late, but I ended up driving all over town running errands on Saturday and Sunday I had to drive back to campus and do a lot of homework. I could've uploaded something yesterday, but I didn't want to give you guys something that was incomplete. I'm still not completely happy with it, but that's because I'm having trouble coming up with an interesting plotline that can last for more than five chapters.**

**With that out of the way, thank you guys so much! This story already has more followers and reviews than my other one! Special shoutouts to TJcat01 and CajunBear73! I loved reading your reviews.**

**I'm going to go out a limb and say that next weeks update me be a day late as well because I'm going camping over the weekend. I'm going to try and upload on Sunday, though.**

**See you guys next week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Quick AN: to the guest that left a comment that disliked how I was portraying Ruffnut, thank you! I don't hate Ruff at all, I actually quite like her. I'm portraying her as such a terrible person because it's from Astrids POV and she's the one in the wrong. I've laid very small hints that Ruff isn't a complete jerk, but hopefully this chapter clears things up. I used Ruff as a way to show how Astrids perspective towards the world shifts throughout the story. I haven't watched any of the TV shows in a very long time and didn't remember her being poor, so I'll make sure to keep that in mind when I'm writing the future chapters. I hope you like what happens in this chapter. If not, please feel free to tell me; I always welcome criticism.**

_Astrid: Wanna meet for lunch?_

I was lying in bed with the window shades up. It was a strangely good morning and the suns warming rays dancing across my skin made everything surreal. I felt so confident that I'd decided that today would be the day to ask Ruff about potential jobs for Hiccup. I hadn't run the plan by him yet either, but I was feeling untouchable this morning. Like nothing could go wrong today.

_Ruff: already have lunch plans with Tuff. Dinner?_

I sent a quick response saying that was fine. Ruff may not like a lot of people, but she loved her brother. Sure, they would always be at each other's throats, but the second someone else tried to get under Tuffs skin it was game over. I still remembered freshmen year of high school when Ruff knocked out some upperclassmen's teeth when they tried to haze her brother. She'd gotten suspended, of course, but the message was clear. Don't mess with the Thorstons.

We decided to meet at a local café around seven. I'd been there a few times before and it was only a few minutes away from my apartment. That way I wouldn't have to waste money on an Uber or something.

The toilet in the bathroom flushed across the hall and the faint sound of water coming out of the faucet could be heard. Hiccup must be up. I thought about getting up and joining him, but my bed was way too comfy to get out of. For some reason the blanket always seemed fluffier in the morning. I did have to pee though…

Not yet. I could hold my bladder for a few more minutes.

"Hey, Astrid." There was a light knock on the door. "I was just about to start making breakfast. Would you like anything?" we'd gotten eggs and bacon at the grocery store, but I was never a fan of eating a hot breakfast.

"I'll make a bowl of cereal when I get up." I made sure we picked up Frosted Flakes, milk, and bananas from the grocery store last night. One of my favorite ways to start the day was to cut the bananas up into thick slices and dump it into the bowl of cereal. "Thanks for the offer, though."

He walked away, presumably to make his breakfast, and I just continued to lay in bed. It was almost surreal how easily I'd adjusted to Hiccup staying with me. If you told me a week ago that I'd met someone I'd met off the streets stay with me, and enjoy it, I'd have laughed until the sun went down. Yet here I was.

I wondered how long Hiccup would stay, or maybe the better question would how long I would let him stay. I mean, he had to leave eventually. If I let him stay here too long, he might get the wrong idea. He was here so that he could get back on his feet. I wasn't going to let him become a freeloader, or that anything was to happen between us…

I mean, yeah, I think he's handsome and has a great personality (from what I've seen), but I'm not good at relationships. I've always messed them up.

That's actually how Ruffnut and I first became friends. It was after my first breakup and she'd found me crying in the school bathroom. Stefen, the boy I'd been dating, told me that I hadn't been committed enough for him. He'd been upset at how rarely I'd text him first, or how I liked to sit with other people during lunch occasionally. Looking back, it was stupid to even date that young, but at the time it'd hit me like a pile of bricks.

Ruff had needed to use the bathroom and she just happened to go to the one that I'd barricaded myself in. She'd been very different back in those days. Her freckles had been a lot lighter and her hair was up in a single ponytail instead of her signature double braid she'd adopt in high school. She promised me that she'd always have my back as long as I had hers. The pinkie promise that followed would forever be burned into my memory. The two of us had gone from strangers to best friends in under thirty minutes.

Admittedly, it was a little weird how the people I usually considered friends started as strangers…

Wait, isn't that was how all friendships started? I mentally facepalmed at my stupidity and tried to blame it on the fact that I hadn't fully woken up yet. Still, Ruff had been different. She'd been a complete stranger who'd been in the right spot at the right time. I hadn't become friends with someone like that until I ran into Hiccup…

I shook my head; the past was in the past. There were more important things, like going to the bathroom. I'd daydreamed long enough.

I shook off the covers and slipped into the flip flops by my bed. The floor was notoriously cold in the mornings and I'd learned very quickly that some sort of barrier was needed to stay comfortable. I quickly changed into real clothes; I didn't want to give Hiccup a show.

After, uh, relieving myself, I walked into the main area of the apartment. I could hear eggs sizzling and was hit with the smell of a classic breakfast. Hiccup was at the stove wearing a new set of clothes he'd gotten from the store yesterday. A pair of blue jeans and a long sleeve flannel shirt. He could pass for a skinny lumberjack if he hadn't shaved his growing beard.

"Good Morning again, Astrid." I hummed a response and started to boil some water for tea. I grabbed a banana and started slicing. There was something soothing about how easy it was to draw a knife through a banana. It was like cutting through jelly. Not that I'd ever done anything like that, it's just what I assumed it would feel like.

As I was cutting my banana into slices, my mind started to wonder. Would Hiccup like me trying to get him a job? I'd never asked him about it, I'd just gone right in and planned it. Maybe that isn't the smartest thing to do. I'm not sure how he would take it after all…

"Hey Hiccup," I said, making up my mind. "I wanted to ask if you would be okay if I asked a friend of mine if they could help find you a job. It would be really boring and probably minimum wage." Hiccup flipped the bacon in the frying pan over. He took a moment to mull things over in his mind before responding.

"I don't see why not. That way I could also help pay the rent."

"Woah there," I put the knife down, banana forgotten. "How long do you think you're staying?"

Hiccups face fell and I realized that my message had come out wrong.

"Not that I'm going to kick you out," I hurried, "I just meant in general. It's not like you can stay with me forever or anything." For some reason that seemed to make him even sadder before he plastered a smile on his face.

"Of course not. I just meant for however long I'm here, it'd be nice if I could also help pay for your rent." His smile almost fooled me, but his eyes gave away that something I said had made him sad. "And I could use the rest of the money to jumpstart my career."

"Great. I just so happen to be meeting said friend for dinner tonight so I'll make sure to bring it up." Hiccup gave me a sideways glance but I was satisfied that I'd gotten the green light so I went back to focusing on breakfast. I poured the hot water into a mug and placed a tea bag in. My grandpa would always make black tea with sugar rocks and crème in the mornings. It was like a watered-down version of coffee, but I'd grown to love it and I thought of the old man every first sip.

Letting the tea steep, I went back to the main course. I got the bowl out and poured in the cereal and topping it off with the yellow fruit. Hiccup had made two eggs, over easy, with a side of bacon. Somehow, he'd been able to control himself and only cook three slices of bacon.

"What're your plans for the day?" I asked, sitting down at the little table. I'd never really used it when I was living alone; opting to sit on the couch and watch television while I ate instead. This felt better, more natural. Maybe I should invite strangers over more often, I joked.

"I don't really have to much planned, unfortunately." Hiccup stopped to take a sip of milk. "I'm going to clean up the apartment a little and then look for jobs, just in case your friend can't find any. I also want to make the trip either today or tomorrow to see my mom."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Ruff can find you something." I was more than confident in her job-hunting abilities. It was like she could smell 'Help Wanted' signs. "I'm just not sure how much you'll like it." Hiccup let out a little laugh.

"Yeah, because I can afford to be picky when I would be out on the streets if it wasn't for you." Hiccup got up to clean his dishes off and I had another flashback to what it was like to live with a family. I'd hastily hidden the plastic plates I've been using since I moved here. It just felt embarrassing to not use real dishes when someone else was living with you.

I'm not saying Hiccup is family, because he isn't. It's just that the last people to stay in the same house as me for more than a sleepover was back when I still lived with my parents.

I finished my own breakfast and rinsed my dishes off. Another plus for cereal is that I barely used anything that had to be cleaned. I dropped the spoon and knife (from cutting the bananas, I don't eat cereal with a knife.) into the bottom of the sink and got to work on the bowl.

I hadn't moved from the couch since lunch, bored out of my mind. Hiccup was at the table, on my laptop, looking at job offers. I'd helped him for the first hour, but after a while it all looked the same. I'd try to tell him it was all pointless anyways, Ruff would come through. I was currently tapping my fingers as a way to relieve the energy building inside of me. Like water behind a dam. I couldn't do just stay here until dinner. I needed to do something before the boredom killed me.

Anything.

"Hiccup, as my guest, it's your duty to entertain me." He stopped typing whatever he'd been looking up and looked over to me, a small smile played on his lips.

"I'm pretty sure it's the other way around, but give me a second and I'll see what I can think up." Hiccup took a minute and looked out the window. "We could go to the park."

I couldn't come up with a better idea, so within five minutes we'd put on our boots, zipped up our jackets, and were out to the door.

"Hey Ruff." She'd gotten there before me for once. I'd lost track of time at the park with Hiccup. I hadn't expected to be there all day, but there was a dog park off to the side and Hiccup and I had a contest to see who could name the most dog breeds. She was wearing a simple sweater with blue jeans and winter boots. Her hair was up, which was odd. Usually it was thrown into pigtails or a braid. She also had mascara and eyeliner on. "Did you get all dressed up just for me?"

"You're just mad because I beat you here." She quipped. Luckily, the café wasn't too crowded, so we were able to get a booth by the windows. I always enjoyed being able to look at all the people walking by when there was a lull in the conversation.

One of the waiters came by and we ordered our drinks; I got a lemonade and Ruff just got a water. The menu was small, but everything on it was really good. I was having trouble deciding between a soup or a sandwich when the waiter came back with our drinks.

"What will you two ladies be having tonight?" the waiter asked as he put the lemonade on a coaster.

"I'll have the French dip sandwich." I said. That way I could kind of have both, it was a tasty compromise.

"And I'll take a small Caesar salad." Ruff folded up the menu and handed it to the waiter.

"Woah, I didn't know a carnivorous barbarian like you could eat something green."

"Haha. There's chicken in it." Ruff gave a small smile at the light jab. I was trying really hard to keep the mood light and make sure that she was in a good mood. I continued to make small talk until our food arrived.

"Ugh, they gave me the wrong salad." Ruff complained. I took a glance and yeah it was the wrong order, but it actually looked really good. It had corn and black beans, topped with diced tomatoes and cheese.

"Looks like some kind of southwest salad." I didn't want something as small as this to ruin the meal, especially with the delicate topic I planned on bringing up later. "We can switch plates if you want."

Ruff gave me a once over to see if I was teasing her. Letting her think that I would make the trade, only to back out at the last second and get a laugh out of it. I tried my best to act sincere, which may have made me only look more suspicious, and half slid my plate over.

"Why are you being so nice...? What do you want from me?" I really considered lying. That way, even if bringing up Hiccup went south, dinner itself had a chance of being good. On the other hand, I did have a reason for being so nice to Ruff and lying always seemed to make the whole deeper at the end rather than avoid it.

"Alright, there is something I want to talk to you about." I could see the triumph in her eyes as her assumptions were proven correct. "But I want to save it until after we have dinner if that's alright with you."

Ruff hmphed and blew some air out of her nostrils but decided to drop the subject for now. She handed me her salad, accepting the trade.

I took a bite and wow, that was good! The flavors blended together really well, and the dressing had a subtle chipotle salsa undertone that wrapped the package in a nice little bun. I couldn't stop the little moan that escaped my lips.

"It's that good?" Ruff smirked at my embarrassment. I'm sure my face matched the tomatoes in my salad.

"Shut up."

"Alright," Ruff said after finishing her meal, "Why did you really want to meet up with me?" I fiddled with the hem of my jacket and took the last bite of my meal. I'd been waiting for this part to come up. I sighed, it was now or never. Hiccup needed this.

"So, you remember that guy that took me off the streets last week?"

"The one that you've fallen in love with because he has a warm face?"

"First off, I don't love him." I could tell Ruff was having a good time drawing this conversation out. Her lips were tense because she was trying to suppress her signature smug grin. "Second off all, Yes.

"Well, I may or not have run into him again at from work one day." Ruffs eyes widened, almost comically, and then they squinted with suspicion.

"Really? That's awfully coincidental…"

"He wasn't stalking me, if that's what you're thinking. It was the shift that I'd taken because they were understaffed. Even I didn't know I was going to working that day. Trust me, he was just as surprised to see me as I was to see him." I assured her. "We talked for a bit, and I got his number before he left, but something didn't seem right."

"Was he not as handsome as a drunk you thought?"

"No, it was in the way he ate the burger, like he hadn't had a good meal in a little while. Anyway, after I helped close up shop, I happen to see a homeless person sulking in the alley. I go to investigate, and it's him! Hiccup got into an argument with the owner of the apartment he was staying at because he let me stay with him!"

"Woahh." I could tell Ruff was genuinely interested. She wasn't trying to rile me up anymore. "What'd you do next?"  
"Well… Well I took him home with me."

"You what?" Ruff looked me in the eye. "Astrid, you can't be serious. You barely know him. Tell me it was just for the night."

"Well…"

"Astrid."

"Well maybe he's still living with me and I want you to find him a job." There. It was all out

"What…" Ruffnut fumbled for the right words. "Astrid, you can't be serious. You barely know him!"

"I know, but from what I've seen, he's a really good person. He's an anthropologist who won't leave the city because his mom has some illness and is in the hospital." Ruffs face softened a little so I decided to play the guilt card. "I know that he's always been there for me and supported my decisions since I've met him, unlike different friend of mine."

Ruff looked like she'd been shot.

"_What?_ Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Okay, I thought, maybe that wasn't the best idea. "Astrid, tell me you don't consider him more of a friend than me."

"He cares about me, Ruff. When was the last time you went out of your way for me?" I refused to feel bad for her, I'd been waiting to say this to her for months.

"Astrid, you are my best friend. I do things for you all the time."

"Oh really? Name one thing?" I hadn't meant to bring this up, but I was too far gone to care. I was sick of being treated like a second-class citizen. We were supposed to be best friends.

"One thing?" Ruffs laugh was dark. "Astrid, I helped you get over half the jobs you've ever had. I know you don't have too many other friends so I always try and get you out in public.

"I work four part time jobs, so _I'm sorry_ if I can't be there as much as someone who's literally living in your apartment." Her words dripped with sarcastic acid; Ruff was certifiably pissed. "I can't choose you over making enough money to support myself and my brother."

"Oh please, you always have money Ruffnut."

"What? Where on Earth did you get that idea?" She seemed generally surprised; did she not realize that she must be loaded?

"I've seen how much you drink at bars, Ruff. That's not something I could afford." Something about Astrid being stubborn. "And Tuff always buys that super expensive goat cheese. That's not something someone who struggles financially would do."

"You think I'm rich because I drink? I drink because of how stressed out working four jobs is! I don't have loving parents as a backup plan. I'm constantly pulling my hair out over my financial situation" Ruff was starting to draw the attention of the other tables. Tears were starting to smear her mascara maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring this up in public. "And haven't you noticed how we always go to the same bar? They give me an employee discount because I occasionally pick up shifts there."

Ruff stopped suddenly, as if something monumental had occurred to her. "I bet you didn't know that, though." She said slowly, as if just now coming to the same conclusion that I was. "I know your work schedule, Astrid. Apparently, you couldn't be bothered to do the same for me."

"Ruff-"

"No" she cut me off. "You don't get to talk until I'm finished." My hands fumbled with the napkin on my lap nervously. "You want to call me a bad friend? What a hypocrite. All you care about is yourself. I still remember that pact we made when we first met. I'd always be there for you, _as long as you were there for me._

"What a joke." Her words ripped right through me. I could barely breathe.

"Oh, and that cheese that Tuff is so enamored with is an old Thorston tradition, something you'd know if you cared about our life." Ruff got up and started to pack her things away. "I actually have a date tonight, so thanks for ruining my makeup."

"You have a date?" I stammered. I was sure I'd remember something like that.

"What, are you upset that I didn't tell you?" Ruff didn't even wait for a response before continuing to lay into me. "Well I'm sorry for being such a terrible friend. I didn't want you to make fun of me for trying to have a meaningful relationship."

"Make fun of? What – why would I make fun of you for that?"

"Just stop it, Astrid. Save it for Hiccup. He is your _best_ friend, after all."

"Ruff-"

"Stop it!" Tears were bursting from her now. "You've made how you feel quite clear.

"I can't believe you" She muttered. "Goodbye."

She was out the door before I could say anything. I would've gone after her, but I was glued to my seat. Ruff had absolutely destroyed me.

And the worst part was that she was absolutely right. How could I have been so self-centered? I didn't even know how many jobs she was working and she'd memorized my entire work schedule! How long had I been using her? How long had she endured my ignorance?

I left whatever money I had in my wallet on the table and ran, my tears leaving a trail behind me all the way home.

**AN: So, I went from one day late to a whole week late. Yeah… I'm really sorry about that. I really like creating things and usually it's in the form of stories, but the I recently got into making music with my Akai MPK Mini MkII midi keyboard. Every time I opened up word, I'd get distracted by some tune in my head that I just had to create. I'm still not really happy with a lot of this chapter, but I don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. I also really struggled writing this chapter. Every story on here is an experiment for me. My first story was 3rd person that switched characters. In this one I'm forcing myself to make it 1st person and I'm not very good at it (which is why I'm doing it).**

**So this Friday is Valentine's Day, are any of you guys doing anything fun with a certain someone? If not, just remember that all the candy will be on sale Saturday.**

**I also really want to thank everyone that's reading this story and sticking with me. It really means a lot to me. See you guys next week (Hopefully!)**


	5. Chapter 5

My room was no longer a room, it was a prison. Metaphorical steel bars lined my window and the door had grown a massive padlock to make sure that whoever was locked up inside stayed there. Only the worst type of people belonged in it; Those that hurt their friends.

I was both a prisoner and the warden of this place. When I got home last night, I went straight to my room and locked the door. I haven't left since. Not even to shower or brush my teeth. I didn't have it in me to care about personal hygiene.

I couldn't believe I'd been so stupid. I could only imagine how much I hurt Ruff. She'd had a date and still made time for me. She didn't complain, or cancel, or anything.

And what did I do? I falsely accused her of ignoring me. I'd been ignoring her; I didn't even know her work schedule! I didn't deserve a friend like her.

Maybe that's why I lost her. There's no way she would ever even consider being my friend anymore, and I can't blame her. The only person to blame is the person who's locked herself in her room. The sun's warm rays that had been so welcoming yesterday had been covered with blinds; I didn't deserve to feel anything positive. I deserved to rot in this room until I starve.

All of the color had been drained out of my room. The walls, which had once been a beautiful pastel green, had turned into a gray pit of hopelessness. Even my bedsheets, which were already gray, seemed like something had come and sucked out all the life out of it.

Hiccup had seen me walk in, a complete and utter mess. He'd tried to talk to me, but I walked right by him like he wasn't even there and locked myself into room. Seeing him only made me feel worse. How could I insinuate that he was a better friend than someone I'd known for as long as I could remember?

I couldn't blame Hiccup, though. He'd done nothing wrong, after all. Once again, it was my stupid perspective on the world that screwed me over. I'd been so desperate for someone that could focus on me 24/7 that I allowed a homeless person to stay with me. That was crazy! Ruff was right to be skeptical of him. A few days is nowhere near enough time to know a person well enough.

But what's happening with Hiccup is an extenuating circumstance, I argued. Hiccup had taken me in when he didn't even know my name. All he knew about me was that I was drunk and asleep and vulnerable. When the next morning came, he acted like it was no big deal! Like it was normal to take strangers into your house. That wasn't the type of person who would fake being homeless just to get access to a woman's apartment.

It was only fair that I repaid the favor when he was the one in need. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I'd left him there in that alley. If it wasn't for Hiccup taking me in, I don't think I would've acknowledged that someone was even there. I would've just kept walking by like everyone before me did.

Being with Hiccup seemed to make me a better person, but it was also tearing apart my other friendships. And by friendships, I meant friendship. Had I really been so self-centered that I'd lost all of my other friends? I hadn't been really close to many people in college, but there were people I'd talked to. I thought that I'd dropped them all after I graduated, but what if it was the other way around?

God, I was so delusional. How could I build myself on such a tall pedestal and only notice when I've been kicked off?

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Ruff.

_Found job opening at the grocery store off of main street for your bestie_.

I couldn't comprehend the words on the screen. Even through everything I had told Ruff, she'd still went and hunted for a job for a person I was sure she didn't like. I didn't deserve Ruffnut. That girl had a nasty reputation in college for being impatient, but she seemed to have an endless supply of rope with me. Unfortunately, it seemed as if I'd used the rope to build a bridge, only to burn it (that's one h*ck of an extended metaphor). And even then, she'd found Hiccup a job!

She'd gone a date, and still managed to help me. A date! Ruff had a date planned and didn't tell me because she was afraid of not being taken seriously! I mean, sure I would've made a few jokes about it, but I wouldn't have meant anything! I wouldn't have meant anything.

I could hear tentative footsteps come down the hall. Hiccup must've heard me start to cry again. He'd come the other times I'd cried throughout the night. The few times I'd been able to fall unconscious, I'd woken up bawling my eyes out.

It was the same time every time I fell asleep. There was a fork in the road; one path led to Ruffnut and the other to Hiccup. In my dream, I'd chosen Hiccup and watched in horror as the path around Ruff crumbled and she fell into the void.

All things considered, Hiccup probably got less sleep than I did. He'd been outside my door practically the entire night. Of course, I ignored him whenever he came by to check on me. I wasn't ready to face the world yet.

"Astrid…" I had tried to be quiet, but being caught crumbled the will to try and hide my problems. My chest started to heave uncontrollably as sobs racked my body.

"Go away, Hiccup." Those words tore into me, because I didn't know how I meant for them to be intended. I wasn't sure if I wanted for him to leave me alone for the morning… or forever. Maybe I could convince Ruff to take me back if he just disappeared. We could just pretend nothing ever happened.

So what if getting rid of him was the simple solution? So what if it only treated the symptoms and didn't cure the disease? Temporary relief from the tidal wave of self-loathing was still relief.

No. That was the easy solution, not the right one. Hiccup had done nothing wrong. He didn't deserve to be out on the streets again. I needed to fix things with Ruff, and I needed to do it without sacrificing Hiccups well-being.

"What happened last night? Are you this upset because Ruff couldn't find me a job?" I wish it was so simple, but I just had to make things complicated.

"She found you a job. The grocery store off of main is hiring."

"So why have you locked yourself in your room?" there was a slight thump as Hiccup took a seat on the floor and laid his back on my door. "I'm very confused."

I let his question die. It wasn't worth explaining. Maybe he would leave if I told him how I'd treated Ruff. Then I would truly be alone. Would Hiccup do that? My instincts told me that he was too nice of a person, but I couldn't trust myself anymore.

We sat on opposite ends of the door before he tried again.

"I really want to help you, Astrid, but I can't do anything if you won't tell me anything." I tried to tell him, but the words wouldn't come out. I was too afraid of alienating him too.

"Ast-"

"I screwed up, okay?" Once those first words were out, it was like trying to stop a train. "I screwed up and it's all my fault. Ruff will never be my friend again and – and you're going to leave and I'm going to be all alone because I'm a shitty person and I can't see what's in front of me until I push them away."

"What are you talking about?" Was it weird that I knew his eyebrows were furrowed? I could see it perfectly in my minds eye. "Would you mind starting from the beginning?"

I was about to, but the words couldn't come out. If I told him everything, then I was sure things would get awkward between us. How could I tell him that I'd been so desperate for attention that I thought he was a better friend than someone who has been by my side for as long as I can remember? I didn't want him to think that I was shallow, even though it was starting to become apparent that I had been.

Maybe he would understand, or at least pretend to understand. And talking about it could help me feel better.

I don't want to feel better, though. I deserve to suffer. I was a bad person.

But Hiccup wasn't a bad person. Maybe he could help me become a better person.

"Am I selfish person, Hiccup?" It was an unfair question. Of course, he would tell me that I wasn't. To him, answering wrong could mean being thrown out onto the streets. Not that I would ever do that, but if I was him I wouldn't take that risk.

"You did plan to ask Ruff to help me look for a job before asking me if I was okay with it." He finally said. My eyes shot open; how did he know that? Was I really that easy to read? "Don't be surprised that I figured it out, the coincidences were obviously staged. And don't think I'm upset, or that I'm not glad that your friend found me a job, but I could have been. You overstepped your boundaries and I don't think it ever crossed your mind."

He sighed and lightly banged his head against the door. "First off, I've known you for less than I week, I am nowhere near qualified for this. However, from what I've see, you're not entirely selfish; you just don't think about other people.

"Do I need to remind you that if it wasn't for your insistence that I wouldn't be staying in your apartment?" Hiccup added. "That isn't something that just anyone would do. You'd need to be a pretty good person to take a homeless person off the streets."

Everything he said was true, but it wasn't making me feel any better. I was trying to lead him to a few magical words without him knowing what they were. And he wouldn't get there until he knew the main reason that dinner last night ended in tears.

"I told Ruffnut, my best friend for as long as I can remember, that you were a better friend than her." I blurted. There, it was out. The elephant in the room had been introduced. Hiccup sputtered for a second, obviously caught off guard.

"What? Why would you say that?"

"I don't know!" It was if a damn broke inside me. The tears started to cascade down my face again and my words came out raw. "She's just been so busy lately and she hasn't had time for me but you practically live with me and I was desperate for attention and now she's really mad at me and so am I but she still looked for a job for you and I feel even worse and…" I had to stop as my body heaved from sobbing so intensely. I'd ran out of breath and now I was struggling to get any air.

Hiccup stayed quiet and I knew I messed up. First, I burned the friendship with Ruff, and now I've made alienated myself from Hiccup.

"Wow, you've got some problems." Hiccups dry humor caught me completely off guard. I couldn't help the choked laugh that slipped its way past my lips. _Traitor_, I thought, _I'm supposed to be sad right now_. But it was hard to feel bad for yourself when no one else was.

"Thanks." It was strangely nice how he wasn't trying to sugarcoat anything. He was just calling it as he saw it, and indeed I did have some problems. Major problems. I couldn't believe I'd never noticed them before. How stupid and naïve could one person be. I'd thrown my issues onto Ruff and I needed to own up to it.

We sat in silence for a while, each of us processing what had happened. I really wanted to know what he thought about it. An outsider's opinion could help rebuild my friendship with Ruff, although that might not apply here since Ruff probably hated Hiccup.

Would Ruff hate Hiccup? He may have been the catalyst, but would she recognize that I was the source of the broken friendship?

"I don't think it's completely weird that you considered me a better friend than Ruffnut." Hiccup was the first to break radio silence. "I'll admit it made me a little uncomfortable, but it makes sense. I've been staying with you for a few days, and in that time I've only heard you talk about one other person."

"I sound so pitiful when you put it that way." Hiccup let out a little laugh.

"It sounds that way no matter how you put it." He was right. I was pitiful. Strangely, I didn't feel any worse. In fact, I was starting to feel slightly better.

I wasn't supposed to feel better. I was supposed to feel terrible. I was supposed to be beating myself unconscious. Maybe I was starting to accept the consequences of my actions; wasn't that one of the steps on the road to recovery?

I got up and walked to my mirror. My eyes were bloodshot red. It looked like something had scratched my eyes. My hair was a certified rat's nest. I'd tried to pull my hair out multiple times through the night.

I looked like a mess. I smelled like one too.

"If you leave the hallway and promise not to look at my horrible appearance, I will go take a shower." Hiccup sighed in relief. I'd given him a small victory, but he'd worked hard in fixing me. It was almost ironic that the catalyst for all the pain I was feeling was also the one that was making me feel better.

As soon as Hiccups footsteps faded down the hall, I poked my head out the door. Satisfied that he was going to keep his word, I dashed across the hall into the bathroom.

The cold water cleared helped clear my head. I may never become Ruffs best friend, but I'd be damned if I didn't try. At the least, I would be someone she didn't hate. I could live with that.

I slowly dried myself and took a glance in the mirror. My eyes were still puffy, but the rest of me looked better. I put on some sweatpants and a sweater, it was definitely that kind of day, and walked out of the bathroom.

I could go back into my room; hide from the world for a little bit longer. Or, I could go into the living room and start fixing my mistakes.

I sighed in resignation and started walking down the hall. Hiccup was at the couch reading the same book as last time. He didn't look up when I walked in, but I could see the smile on his lips and I knew I'd made the right decision in his eyes.

I could feel another breakdown around the corner; I had tears threatening to form. And then Hiccup goes into the kitchen and brings out a plate.

"Here, I made you breakfast." There were scrambled eggs with cheese on top and toast. He must've made it when I was in the shower.

I tried to say thank you, but the only thing that came out were unintelligible mumbles. He knew I was extremely upset and went out of his way to help. No, he didn't go and fix my relationship problems or anything. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, making breakfast is a very small moment.

But that's exactly why it meant so much to me. Being a good friend wasn't just about the big things, it was about all of the little details too. Like how Ruff new my work schedule, or made sure I didn't stay in my apartment all the time.

"Alright, I'm headed to Ruffs to beg for forgiveness." I thought it'd be best to start trying to fix everything as soon as possible, but Hiccups smile quickly fell off his face and he rose to his feet.

"What? You think that's the smartest idea?" An ugly feeling started to force its way in my stomach. I didn't like being criticized.

"Well… yes? Why wouldn't it be?" I huffed in indignation.

"I mean, this all happened yesterday. Shouldn't you give her a little bit of time?" Give her time? What if Ruff decided that she would be better off without me? If I got to her soon, then maybe I could convince her otherwise. "I'm sure she has a lot on her mind, rushing in and trying to convince her to come to a certain conclusion that benefits you is a little selfish and is exactly the reason you got in this mess in the first place."

Hiccup meant well

"Now, instead of just rushing in and win," Hiccup said, "let's come up with some sort of plan. How exactly do you plan on making things better?"

"Well I'm gonna go there and tell her I'm sorry."

"And…" Hiccup gave a little circular gesture, motioning for me to go on.

"I was planning on seeing what happens from there." I crossed my arms. So what if I didn't have a real plan?

"You're too headstrong, Astrid. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice quality. But you need to rein it in and really think things through. You may only have one shot."

"That's a little harsh, you don't know Ruff. What makes you so sure about all this? What gives you the right to tell me how to handle my relationships?"

"Because you're doing a bang-up job all by yourself." Hiccup quipped. "Look, I'm trying to help you here, Astrid. I'm not perfect like you're pretending to be, which is exactly why you're in this mess in the first place. I've had my fair share of fights and break ups. I'm just trying to help you, but it looks like you won't listen!"

"I am listening, but I know Ruff! I'm trying to make things right! I want to fix things – why won't you let me do what I think is right?"

"I don't even know why I'm bothering." Hiccup sighed in defeat. his voice was laced with resignation. I really wanted to listen to him, but I couldn't just lose her.

I was going to fix my relationship with Ruff. It was as simple as that.

**AN: Hey guys! I may not be happy with this chapter, but I am happy that it's being updated on time. I guess I would call this a filler chapter, but I didn't want Astrid to get right back in the saddle. Also, I really don't have a plot line for this. All I have planned is the ending and I'm just trying to get there in a way that makes at least a little bit of sense. Also, it's a little insane how this chapter is already over half as long as my first story, at five chapters!**

**On a different note, Astrid blew off Hiccups help while refusing to give Ruff any time… wonder how this will work out…**

**Let me know what you guys thought, and as always,**

**See you guys next week!**

**(I just went back and added eight words to help set things up for a big plot point, I'd be really impressed if anyone could figure out what sentence was added in the ten minutes since the original upload.)**


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, this was it. I was standing in front of Ruff and Tuffs apartment. I had a key to get in, but just walking in seemed like an awful idea.

I raised my hand to the door. The dark oak stared back at me. Once I knocked, there was no going back. I would officially be trying to fix the damage I caused.

But Hiccups words drifted to me. He thought I was being to hasty. He thought that I was ruining my chances by rushing in. 'Rushing in' is just another way of saying that I trust my gut, I argued. My instincts had gotten me through almost every adversity I'd faced since infancy. Why should I abandon them now?

Was it my gut instinct to be self-centered? Would it be better to follow the advice of someone else in this case?

I sighed, why did this have to be so difficult? I wanted nothing more than to punch a hole in frustration, but I don't think would appreciate having to buy a new door. Maybe Hiccup was right, though.

I lowered my fist. I needed to give Ruff time. Right as I turned away, I heard a slight creak. Turning back around, I saw Tuff had opened the door. I used to mistake him for his sister when we were younger because they both had the same long, matty blond hair and freckles. Instead of being greeted with his usual goofy smile, his face was as hard as stone.

He knew.

It was obvious. His stare alone could slice me in half. No one cared for his sister more than him.

"Where's Ruff?" I tried my best to sound sincere. That's not to say that I wasn't, because I was. But I had a history of messing around with Tuffnut. I needed him to know just how bad I felt about everything.

"Not here." Tuff's tone was as cold as ice and I involuntarily shuttered. He didn't seem to care how sincere I was; this was not the Tuff I'd grown up with. Although I'd always been a good friend to his sister growing up, it was obvious how quickly things could change.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Was he lying to me? I couldn't imagine him doing that in this serious of a situation.

"I mean literally that. She came home in tears last night and is currently off licking her wounds with her new boyfriend." Tuffs words reopened the words on my soul, but I refused to break. I deserved everything he said and more.

"So, her date went well?" At that, his gaze softened. I think he could tell that I was genuinely curious about it and not just mocking her. I wanted her to be happy.

"From what she told me, it started off really awkward because of the, uh, tears. But it all worked out in the end because he's a great listener or something." I nodded, taking it all in like water. I may not have always paid the most attention to Ruffs… endeavors, but that was the old me. The new me would be interested in everything she did.

"Look…" Tuff rubbed the back of his neck. "I realize that you would never mean to hurt Ruff as bad as you did – I get that – but the fact is that you did and that's not something I can just look the other way on." My face fell. I should've known that he would side with his sister; it really wasn't a surprise. Sure, they would always compete and mess with one another, but they were still family.

"However," He continued, "I can give you a bit of advice so that you can at least get a foot in the door." Tuffnut glanced both ways before leaning in close. It was like he didn't want anyone else to hear whatever secret he was about to spill.

"Let her calm down." My jaw almost dropped; it was almost exactly what Hiccup had said. "You need to give her time. My advice, give her two days and try again." I could brush off advice from someone that didn't know Ruff, but no one knew her better than her brother. Her _twin_ brother.

Why did it seem to be the obvious course of action to everyone besides me?

"If you think that's best, then that is what I'll do." Tuff gave me a critical look, like he wasn't sure if I actually planned to go with it or text her the moment I was alone with my phone. I must've passed his test, because he moved back towards his door.

"You've known Ruff a long time, I wish you the best of luck." And with that, Tuffnut retreated back into his apartment.

I stood alone in the hallway for a few minutes. I wasn't sure what to do; I didn't know what the next step was. All I wanted to do was curl up in a blanket in the apartment I was standing outside. I could almost taste the ice cream I would share with Ruff as we watched some stupid romcom – ironically of course.

The mirage faded before my eyes. Replaced by beige walls and doors. I needed to get out of here.

I walked around the block aimlessly after leaving the apartment complex, not really paying attention. The streets all blurred together after a while. It was admittedly peaceful, not knowing where I was in the city. I was surrounded by strangers that had no idea what heinous crimes I'd committed.

Was this what real criminals thought when they were in public areas? I felt as if my insides were physically rotting, with maggots eating through my intestines.

There was a flash of auburn hair in front of me, about twenty feet. It was unmistakably Hiccups by the way it bounced in movement. I thought about letting him be, but only for a moment.

"Hiccup!" The man next to me looked at me like I was crazy. I inwardly laughed because maybe he thought that I _was_ hiccupping.

"Astrid?" Hiccup was wearing all of his new clothes today. He had on both of his new jackets, even though there was a warm front coming through. "…Are you stalking me? Shouldn't you be off ignoring my advice or something?"

Hiccup was trying to play it off, but I could see how my actions had hurt him. I hadn't meant to completely sideline him in my quest to get Ruff back. Why did it seem like I couldn't have one without the other?

"I actually just left her apartment. She wasn't there and I ended up talking to her brother for advice." I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him off the sidewalk into one of the alleys. The smell of mold from restuarants trashcans permeated the air, but at least it was more private. "I'm so sorry Hiccup for not listening to you. Tuff me basically the exact same thing you did."

"And so you listened to him." _and not me_. I could hear what he was leaving out just as loud as the things that he actually did.

"No – well I guess I technically did – but I'd already decided that you were right before then. I couldn't knock on the door. In fact, I'd turned away and was leaving when Tuff opened the door." His face softened, but not by much. His brow was still furrowed slightly and his hands were jammed in his jacket pockets.

He studied me for a few minutes. I wanted to say more and to try to convince him of my sincerity, but I did something I should've done earlier today; I took Hiccups advice and shut up. Hiccup should form his own decision. After what felt like forever, Hiccup finally broke the silence.

"You sure are a piece of work, you know that?"

"I know, and I'm really sorry about it. I don't know why I didn't listen to you before."

"Because you're…" Hiccup gestured vaguely to all of me, struggling to come up with the right words. "Well because you're Astrid." He concluded. I rolled my eyes; what a genius.

"You're very headstrong and you blindly trust you're gut one hundred percent of the time. You're so used to being the only one that you report to that you overlook other people's opinions if they don't line up with yours."

"How do I change?" I felt too old to be able to reinvent myself.

"That's like changing a boulder." I looked down at my hands. Was there really no hope for me? Hiccups hands wrapped around mine and I looked up to see him staring at me intently. "It's just going to take a lot of effort and time, but it can happen if you really want it to."

"I do." I replied without hesitation and Hiccup sighed in relief.

"Good, then let's get out of here, it really smells." He dragged me by my hand and led me out of the darkness.

"Where were you headed?" I asked him. We were nowhere near that job opening on main street and I doubted he decided to just go for a stroll this far from the apartment.

"I'm headed to see my mom – Well, now I guess _we're _headed to see her." He corrected.

"W-what?" I sputtered out. His mom? Taking a quick look at my surroundings, we were only a few blocks away from the hospital, but he wanted me to go with him? "Are you sure you want me going with you?"

"My mom would kill me if I didn't bring in the person who took me in off the streets, although maybe don't tell her that. I don't want her to worry about me." I tried to protest for another minute, but Hiccup was having none of it. Besides, it would help me pass the time before I could get back to trying to become friends with Ruffnut again.

It was better than sitting at home, mindlessly gazing at the TV while I replayed all my mistakes on repeat in my head.

I always hated hospitals. When we walked in, all I could smell was white. I can't even describe how hospitals smell using regular methods; it somehow smelled like a color. It didn't help the entire building was comprised entirely of various shades of white and gray.

Having blue walls wouldn't make the building less sterile and it could make the place more inviting. But nooo, they had to make it feel like the hospital was made entirely out of hand sanitizer.

"What do you want?" The lady at the front desk was the antithesis of what I expected. She was compressed and snide. Her hair was like straw and honestly her makeup skills could really use some work.

"Ignore her." Hiccup dragged me to the nearest elevator. He hit the fourth floor and the steel box took off with a surprising amount of speed. The stainless-steel doors opened and we walked down the modern hallway.

I was lost after the first turn, but Hiccup just kept leading the way. He must know the place like the back of his hand.

We ended up in front of another desk, but at least the lady behind the wooden counter seemed kinder. She recognized Hiccup and pointed down one of the hallways.

"Nice to see you again. You know where to go." She gave him a bright smile and waved us on our way. Hiccup stopped in front of one of the doors to our left suddenly. He wiped his hands on his jeans and then opened it for me.

The room was very simple. The walls were white with a few motivational posters, there was a sink with a private bathroom, and a couch by the window that overlooked the parking lot. The bed was in the center of the room with the headboard against the far wall.

The woman laying in it seemed very fragile. Her brown/gray hair was like straw and veins formed spider webs across her arms. Her eyes opened at the sound of us walking in and a wry smile creaked open.

"That wouldn't happen to be my dear son, Hiccup, no would it?" Her thick Scandinavian accent made it hard to understand every word, but I got the gist through the warmth in her big round eyes.

"No, ma. I'm just one of the janitors to clean the place up." Hiccup joked. His mother laughed lightly until her eyes roamed over to me.

"A girl? Don't tell me you've finally got a girlfriend?" She looked me up and down. Not in a demeaning way or anything; I wasn't feeling judged. She was just trying to get a good look at me. "Haven't even introduced me to her yet."

"She's not my girlfriend, just a friend. Her name is Astrid. Astrid, this is my mom, Valka." I went over to shake her hand, but she yanked my outstretched hand and pulled me into a hug. Her lavender hair contrasted sharply with the general aroma.

"It's very nice to meet you, Valka." My words were muffled because my face was currently stuffed in the pillow that was supporting her.

"None of that Valka business," she told me, "All my friends call me Val, and as one of Hiccups friends, you are automatically family." My cheeks turned red as warmness filled my stomach. It felt good to be with a mother again. "And it is very nice to meet you too."

She released me from her embrace, only to drag Hiccup into it. He didn't complain one bit, though. It was nice to know that he was a certified mama's boy and wasn't afraid to show it in front of me.

"So, how are things going for you in that big bad world, Hiccup?" Val refused to let go of Hiccup completely so even though both Hiccup and I had sat down on the couch, she was still holding his hand; It was very cute. I'm sure that the couch was made of some high impact, microbial polymer that was very easy to clean, but I would've much rather had one of those couches that was actually comfortable. This one was like sitting on plastic. It made sense and all, but a girl could wish.

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck before answering, "I'll admit things looked a little rough for a little while, but now I have a place to stay," Hiccups eyes flickered to me briefly," and someone told me all the places that are hiring in the area and tomorrow I'm going to go around and interview."

Val smiled broadly, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's wonderful, although I wish you were able to find a job that goes with your degree so that you can finally do what you enjoy."

"You know that being close to you is much more important to me than any job." Hiccup replied. Valka tried to do her motherly duty in getting him to promise to start looking for jobs elsewhere, but Hiccup flat out refused to compromise.

"I'll leave town the day you leave the hospital." Hiccup promised. Val obviously wanted the best for her son and decided to drop the subject.

"Deal, but only if you tell me everything that's happened since you last visited."

"So, it all started when I was walking home one night and this drunk girl rammed into me out of nowhere…" I listened just as intently to Hiccup as his mother. He didn't leave a single detail out, or pull his punches.

"I thought she was an absolute mess, there was no way she would survive the night." Hiccup was telling it just like a story; he paused dramatically to build the tension and I could see that Val was on the edge of her seat. "I couldn't just leave her there, so I took her to the apartment I was staying at."

"That's my son." Val said to me. "He's always had a heart of gold." Hiccup didn't stop telling the story, but his cheeks blushed at her words. Hiccup's hands were flying all over the place as he started to really get into it.

"… and in the morning, she tried to attack me!" laughter erupted out of all three of us. Valka's laugh was smooth and buttery; it was an angel's laugh. Unlike me who snorted like a hyena, which only served to make the other two to laugh harder.

Valka's laugh soon turned into a coughing fit and her body rocked violently. Hiccup was up instantly by his mothers' side, trying his best to help her get through it. He was rubbing her back gently while I just sat there and stared. After a solid minute, she was finally able to get herself under control.

"Sorry about that." Val said. Her voice was just a little bit rougher than before. Hiccup continued to rub her shoulders as he laid her back into her bed. His big emerald eyes oversaturated with concern.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Val chided, "Coughing is just a reminder that I'm not dead just yet. There's still a bit of fight left in me."

I just sat in my chair, awkwardly fiddling with the zipper of my jacket. This was a deeply personal moment and I felt like an intruder. Hiccup and his mom whispered words of comfort back and forth for the next few moments. Hiccup glanced over and actually jumped a little when he realized that there was someone else in the room.

He cleared his throat to get his moms attention and they awkwardly parted. Valka pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"So, what else happened?" Valka asked. Hiccup was quick to change the subject.

"You need rest," He deflected, "And I have a job interview soon that I should really go to. We'll continue this story the next time we visit." We? I came here by accident today, was he inviting me back?

I mean, I really liked Valka; she'd grown on me fast. But I felt out of place. I didn't belong here. Hiccups bond with his mother was special.

Val tried to argue, but she soon relented because she didn't want for her to be the reason that Hiccup didn't get a job. She gave both of us powerful hugs and sent us on our way. As I closed the door to Valka's room, I saw her wipe a tear from her eyes.

**AN: Whew! I almost didn't get this uploaded today. I completely forgot that my Canadian relatives were flying in for the week to see some band. I came home for the weekend expecting to be able to write in my room but I spent almost all of my time out of the house doing things. It was a ton of fun, but some late nights getting this chapter finished.**

**I want to once again thank everyone for reading this story. I try and make sure that each chapter is at least 3k words, not including authors notes.**

**I also wanted to thank everyone for reviewing, I read every comment and they all make me smile.**

**And finally, I especially wanted to thank anyone reading this from a country where English isn't the first language. It blows my mind what countries some of my readers live in and I just wanted to say that you rock.**

**Hope you guys liked the chapter! See you next week!**


	7. Chapter 7

Hiccup and I walked into the apartment after a quiet walk back from the hospital. The room had been cleaned since the morning; Hiccup must've been busy.

"The place looks great." It looked like he even dusted! The place hadn't been this clean since I moved in. "You didn't have to do this much, Hiccup."

"Don't think about it too much, it was nothing." Hiccup's hands were shoved into his outer jacket and I could practically feel his uncomfortableness radiating from him. I decided to leave him be; if he didn't want to be thanked then I wouldn't smother him with praise.

He took a seat on the couch and put the worn-out backpack he'd been carrying behind his head to use as a pillow. It didn't seem too comfy to me, but Hiccup's breathing had evened out and within a few minutes I was sure he was asleep. I hate to admit that I stared at his face for a little bit. It was just so interesting, how his face could have so much detail. His freckles were like footsteps across his face, his stubble like armor. His hair was defied gravity. It bounced just from the gentle rocking of his diaphragm; the shampoo and conditioner had really worked their magic.

Getting a hold of myself, I was able to break the trance I'd been lulled into.

Focus.

On what, though? I couldn't text Ruff yet, everyone had said that I should wait at least another day to give her time to heal. I couldn't go to work, my shift didn't start for another three hours (I hated the late shifts, ugh). I couldn't even be productive around the house because I could wake Hiccup up.

Not that there was much I could really do around here besides make my bed.

I shrugged, that wasn't the worst way to spend my day. I walked into my room and looked around. I'd made a little bit of a mess last night. Pillows were strewn across the floor, casualties from a fitful night's sleep. Deciding that it'd be best to just start fresh, I slowly and methodically took the covers off my bed and bundled them by the door. I then grabbed the other set of sheets and put them on the mattress, one corner at a time. Soon, the dreary gray theme had been replaced with maroon.

It was calming to work without a sense of time. An entire could've passed since I started, or it might've been less than five minutes; it didn't matter. I can see why people liked to trim those bonsai trees now. I should get a bonsai tree. It didn't have to be big or anything, as long as I could trim it into something that at least partly resembled the one from The Karate Kid. My _fantastic_ artistic skills could be a problem, but I could learn.

Even though this was a purely impulsive train of thought, I could see a few benefits. I would have something to care after, that was supposed to help people learn empathy. I hadn't had a pet since I was a little kid. My parents had bought their little daughter a pet snake. Definitely an unusual choice for someone as young as I was, but I was determined to be different then my other classmates that all had dogs or cats. It'd only been a harmless corn snake, but I'd never felt so badass (even to this day). I'd named her Stormfly and we'd been inseparable until one day she just disappeared; escaped somehow. It was devasting and even though my parents offered to get another animal, I'd refused. It hadn't felt right to replace Stormfly with another animal, but maybe a plant would be different.

Do people name plants? or do they just kinda think of it as 'that plant over there'? I think I'd end up giving it a name; George would be a good name for a bonsai tree as long as people didn't consider it cultural appropriation.

Hiccup's chest still rose and fell softly so I decided to go out for a run, which was only mildly surprising. I was in cross country throughout high school, but dropped it after graduation. Every few weeks or so I would get the urge to dip my toes back in, but I could always come up with a good enough excuse to wimp out of it. Not this time. I slipped on my old pair of running shoes and quietly exited the apartment.

I took a left out of the front doors and settled into my natural pace almost instantly. It was just like riding a bike and a smile broke through my determination. How could I let myself give this up? It was freeing, feeling the wind on my face.

Most runners ran with their heels slamming into the ground first, but I'd learned long ago that it was better for me to run toe to heel. That way I could use my ankles as shock absorbers and keep the momentum going. It also made me feel more onto of the beat.

My breathing started to become ragged after maybe half a mile, but I pushed through it. I'd never been the 'most fit' runner, but I'd had an endless supply of will. As I took another left, I remembered one of the races where I'd pushed myself so hard that I'd about collapsed as soon as my feet passed the finish line.

I had a vague route in my head. I wasn't entirely sure how long it was, though. Maybe three-four miles? Being completely honest with myself, I may be taking a bite bigger than I can chew. I always tried to pace myself to where I ran 100% of the time. walking, even if for a few seconds, was a personal defeat. I was also making sure to avoid Ruffnuts neck of the woods; didn't want to run into her before she was ready.

My mouth felt like it was congealing because my body was producing more saliva and mucus. It was one of my least favorite parts of running because I spit much more often and it was just gross.

Huffing, I jogged in placed while waiting to cross a street. Maybe I should've changed clothes too. Sure, it wasn't exactly summer weather, but it was just a little too much for sweats. I could feel the sweat running down my legs. At least I'd taken my sweater off, otherwise I'd look like I just jumped out of a pool.

When the white hand appeared across the street, I let the dogs loose and burst through the intersection. A car honked and all of a sudden there was a mustang grill a few feet from me. It was a mean car, black with red accents. The man behind the wheel was no different, with a hard face covered behind a bushy mustache. He glared me down but I returned the gesture and pointed at the signs.

As soon as I was out of his field of vision, I stopped and leaned against the wall. That was a close call. I may not have died, but bones definitely would've been broken.

"Crazy." I muttered. Pushing myself off the wall, I tried to regain the momentum I'd lost. One good thing about almost getting hit was that I was able to get my breath under control. I started running just a hare faster than before since I'd given myself a little break. At the next light, I hung a right to avoid crossing the street. Turning the corner, I hit a wall.

"Oh! I'm sorry." The wall said. He had straw blond hair and was wearing a brown shirt, and he was huge. Not Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson huge. More like a Scandinavian version of Jonah Hill. He quickly hoisted to my feet and started fussing about, making sure I was okay.

"How are you feeling? Is anything broken? One out of five falls cause a serious injury, do you need me to take you to a hospital?" I did a quick mental checklist to make sure everything was fine.

"I'm alright." I assured him, "Just a little embarrassed. I'm not sure how I missed you." My eyes widened as I realized what I'd said. "I didn't mean that – I'm so sorry." My face reddened considerably, but he just laughed it off.

"I am a little big, aren't I? don't worry about it, I'm very aware of how big I am and am quite comfortable in my own skin." I sighed in relief. I didn't want to make another person angry today.

"Astrid?" Shit.

Ruffnut was coming out of the women's clothing store that we were standing in front of. The big man looked at her, and then at me. And then back at her.

"Do you two know each other?" He asked innocently and Ruff eyed him suspiciously before asking her own question.

"Do you?" Her tone told me everything. She was accusing him; I could hear the hurt in her voice. I tried to tell her that he had no part in any of this and I had no idea who he was, but he beat me to it.

"Never met her before in my life, we just happened to run into each other and I started to talk to her while I waited for you to finish inside." He read the situation perfectly; his big brown eyes must've seen the tension between us and tactfully made the best decision.

Ruff's glare softened slightly, only to harden when she turned her gaze over to me. "And what are you doing here? did you decide to stalk me? I must say I'm surprised. That's more attention than you've given me all year."

The venom was dripping from the corners of her mouth and her eyes had narrowed to slits. I realized that the man I had run into was the mystery boyfriend when he got in between us; no one else would have the guts to face her head on like that.

"Get out of the way Finnian," Ruff growled, but Finnian stood his ground. He was starting to look uncomfortable, though. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"L-look, I can tell that you have a deep bond with this person," He stammered, glancing between the two of us. seeing the looks in our eyes, he gained some confidence and charged on. "I know what it's like to have a falling out with a best friend. We were inseparable but there was an argument right before we graduated high school and we haven't talked since.

"I would hate for this to happen to anyone else." Finnian held his hands up in mock surrender. "Now, I realize that I have absolutely no idea what happened-"

"She took in some homeless dude and after asking me to help her out, said that she thought he was a better friend than me." Ruff blurted. Finnian's mouth hung open and he glanced at me in shock.

"Wow, okay." He fumbled for a bit, and my face reddened as tears started to form. Even the person who was trying to help me was having trouble coming up with any sort of defense.

"Well, that's certainly not what I was expecting." He started. "But I'm sure that getting together and talking over comfort food could help. I'm going to assume that you haven't seen this other person, Ruff. Maybe it'd help if you met him."

"What! How can you take her side?" Ruff stomped her foot.

"I'm not taking any side; just trying to facilitate communication. I'll even cook something for you guys if you would rather speak in private."

I was more than ready to agree, but I kept my mouth shut. Ruff had to agree to it first. I just felt like if I seemed too eager then it could set her off once again. Ruff seemed to be chewing it over in her head; at least a foot was in the door.

At least Ruff was here. Sure, she may not have spoken to me since she recognized me, but the fact that she didn't go right back in and ignore was a victory to me. Even so, I started picking at my fingernails.

"…fine" It was only one word, but it made me want to jump for joy. It was a start, and a start was all I needed to rekindle our friendship.

"Great!" Relief flooded Finnian's facial features (gotta love alliteration). He must've been as sure that she would agree as I was, which was very little. "Ruff and I can go pick up some ingredients and you two can come over tomorrow night if you don't have any plans."

I quickly agreed and we decided to do it at Finnian's apartment so that he would have time to cook whatever meal he had in mind. Ruff still had her arms crossed, but she was glancing my direction occasionally.

"You look awful." I had no doubt she was right. I was sweaty and I could feel my hair sticking to my neck.

"I went for a run."

"You haven't gone for a run in years." It was embarrassing how many small details Ruff knew about me. Once again, I mentally slapped myself for ever doubting her. I refused to take all the blame, because there are instances where she was in the wrong. But to totally write her off for being human was just stupid.

I realized I never responded to Ruff. It was too late to say anything now, so I just kind of coughed awkwardly and nodded in agreement. She gave me a critical eye before grabbing Finnians hand.

"Let's go, I'll see you tomorrow, Astrid." They walked off and I was left alone. Jumping up and down to gain a little momentum. I jogged back to the dorm, a small smile on my face the whole way back.

I opened the door to my apartment and the hinges squeaked. Hiccup jumped awake from the sound.

"Hey Astrick." He slurred drowsily. I watched as the gears turned in his head. "Sorry about that. Typo."

"I didn't know humans made typos." I quipped and he shrugged with nonchalance. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"I did, until someone rudely woke me up." Hiccup sat up to make room for me to take off my shoes. "Did you go somewhere?"

"Went for a little jog because I was bored and may have run into Ruff and her new boyfriend – but it all worked out because he convinced her to give me another chance." I hurried that last part because Hiccup shot me a warning look. "It was an accident; I even tried to make sure to avoid her apartment, but she was out shopping and I sort of ran into her boyfriend."

"When people say that they 'ran into' someone that they don't mean it literally. Why do I feel like you're an exception to that rule?" Hiccup's eyes had razers in them; he loved it. He loved to banter with literary blunt daggers.

"Hey! I usually watch where I'm going." I knew I could be a _little_ clumsy at times, but I couldn't let him know that.

"How did I meet you again?" Damn him. It seemed like my face had become permanently red with how embarrassed I'd been in the past few days. Hiccup was the ultimate word smith; I don't think I've ever had the last laugh with him. Or that I'll ever be able to.

I made myself a cup of coffee instead of fighting an uphill battle. Hiccup smiled in triumph.

We watched TV until I had to go to work. It had dropped a few degrees since the sun set and it was really hard leaving the apartment knowing I'd be frozen solid by the time I clocked in.

Work wasn't too bad either. Barely anyone came in to eat anything, so Booker was able to keep me company.

"So, how has life been treating you?" He asked when the last customer of the day waved goodbye.

"It's been exhausting."

"Ahhh, I understand completely – you've got woman problems, don't you?" Booker's deep laughter resonated from deep within his chest.

"I'm not some hormonal teenage boy, Books." I huffed, crossing my arms.

"So you admit that it is girl problems then, hah!" Another round of his deep thundering laughter lit up the restaurant. "I've worn that same worn-out look for years and years. Was it that friend of yers from a few days ago?"

"Among other things…" Booker put down a plate he'd been fidgeting with and gave me an ocular pat down.

"Ohhh, I see." His eyes widened before a smug smile appeared across his face. "You've also got boy troubles, don't you?

"Oh man, you do! I can see it in your eyes! Oh man, good luck, Astrid. No wonder you're so exhausted."

"Thanks." I gave him a halfhearted grin to offset the dry response.

"Can't say I've had too many problems with men so I can't give you too much help there, but you better tell me everything that happens; I'll make sure to bring the popcorn!" He gave another hoot and then retreated back into the kitchen to start shutting things down. Almost no one would come in this late and it was a safe bet that there wouldn't be another customer tonight.

And half an hour later, I was out the door and heading home. Luckily, no one had come in. Usually when I think those types of thoughts, I would jinx myself.

The apartment had never looked so inviting. Hiccup had lit a candle and put together a little meal for me. It was just a simple sandwich and some carrots, but it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Not only had he paid attention to my work schedule and new when I was getting off, but he decided to actually do something with that information.

I tried to thank him, but he wasn't having it and shoved a carrot in my mouth to shut me up. I bit it in half and was rewarded with a crisp snap; too bad we didn't have any dip.

After downing the sandwich, I vowed that I would make sure to do the same thing whenever Hiccup got off of work. He was going to go and apply to the places Ruff recommended to him tomorrow morning. I was more than confident that he would get at least one job; he was too good of a person to pass up. Any company would be stupid to reject him.

"What are you so worried about, it's just dinner." Hiccup's oversimplification didn't ease my nerves one bit because it wasn't _just some dinner party_, it was one of the big steps in mending my friendship with my childhood friend. It's probably one of the biggest and most important things I'll do all year (besides, you know, me ruining everything in the first place).

We were headed over to Finnian's house to try and get this mess all sorted out. Ruff sent me his address and it was less of a mile away so we decided to walk it. It was a crisp cool night and our breath lightly fogged up the way in front of us.

"Can you please be serious, Hiccup? I need you to make a really good first impression." I would've straightened his tie if he was wearing one, but he had been homeless less than a week ago and didn't have the finances to buy one. I did make him comb his hair, though.

I was wearing a simple dress, nothing too fancy. It was black with fake little silver gems around the chest area. Hiccup was wearing jeans with a solid blue t-shirt.

"Be serious? Why don't we try being ourselves instead? I'm pretty sure Ruff would rather be friends with human beings over a secretary." Hiccup grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop.

"Look, as cliché as it is, Ruff was your friend for a reason, right? How could fundamentally changing who you are make things better?"

"Because I wasn't good enough to be her friend." I was too tired to try and avoid the truth. It was as simple as that; I wasn't good enough.

"Astrid… that's not true. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Alright, Mr. Perfect. Maybe you don't make any huge mistakes-"

"Trust me, I am not perfect and have never claimed to be. I have made plenty of mistakes that will haunt me for years." Hiccup was more serious than I'd ever seen him. "I have been in your exact situation before, only I messed it up worse.

"I lost a friend forever. I'm trying to make sure you don't make the same mistakes I do." I was speechless; I couldn't imagine Hiccup losing a friend. All he'd done since I met him was look out for me, anyone would be lucky to be his friend. Had I put him on a pedestal without realizing it?

Hiccup decided that our heart-to-heart was over and yanked me back towards Finnian's apartment. We didn't say anything until we were waiting outside his solid oak door.

"Well," Hiccup blurted, a little impatiently. "Are we just going to sit here all night, or are you going to knock?" I raised my fist, but the door was intimidating.

_Deal with it_, I thought to myself, and punched the door. There was a muffled 'coming' from inside the apartment and I smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress once more before the door opened.

Finnian had a huge grin on his face when he saw me. He was wearing a dirty apron and a chefs hat as well.

"Astrid!" He pulled me into a big hug, which sucked because I'm pretty sure that there was tomato sauce on his apron. "I'm so glad you made it."

"It smells delicious," I commented. "I can't thank you enough." I turned to introduce him to Hiccup, but Hiccup was deathly pale. His eyes were locked on Finnian's massive body.

"Fishlegs?"

**AN: I cannot tell you guys how happy I am to _finally_ get this chapter uploaded. Midterms were crazy for me; I had three writing assignments and I put hours and hours of work into all of them and I was just too tired to work on this much. And then during spring break I went on vacation, which was a terrible idea with the outbreak. I really hope everyone is being safe and healthy. **

**I wanted to tell you guys about my delay with the updates, but doesn't like authors posting chapters with just authors notes, so I posted it on my bio. I also sent out a post on my Wattpad account so you could also follow me there for updates. I should be back on track to update next Sunday.**

**I also want to give a huge shoutout for all of you guys. I can't get over the fact that there wasn't a time between updates where no one viewed my stories; that is insane! That was a huge motivator when I was able to sit down and write this.**

**Please let me know what you guys thought of the chapter. What did you think of 'Finnian'? Do you like the direction this story is going? Is there anything you think I should change? Leave a review a or PM me, I'd love to talk about it.**

**Thank you guys once again, you truly are amazing!**

**(Stay safe please)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Quick AN: I uploaded chapter 8 of my other story on here by accident. I'm so sorry for any confusion!**

"Hiccup?"

No one spoke for a solid minute. Hiccup was staring at 'Fishlegs', and he was staring right back. I was going back and forth, not fully comprehending how they could possibly know each other. This city wasn't massive, but there are thousands and thousands of people here.

Finnian basically shoved right by me and threw his arms around an astonished Hiccup. His mouth was slightly open before he gingerly put his arms around Finnian as well.

"What, are you friends with Astrid's buddy as well?" Ruff came down from one of the side hallways. She was wearing a moss-green cotton long sleeve with a deep purple cardigan that rested just below her hips. Her hair was tied up in her

When neither of them answered, Ruff stomped her foot. "This is ridiculous, now he's stolen my boyfriend, too."

Finnian snapped out of the trance at Ruff's outburst, although his words lacked the same energy.

"We-we went to high school together." Finnian spoke softly, like he'd just come in contact with a ghost. "I haven't seen him in years."

"I can't believe this." Ruff groaned. "Why don't you just replace me entirely, Hiccup was it?"

Hiccup finally tore his eyes off of his childhood friend and looked at the other person in the room. "I'm so sorry about ignoring you, I just didn't expect to see…" He pointed towards Finnian. "Him here. My name is Hiccup, which you already knew… umm, it's nice to meet you."

This was the first time I'd ever seen Hiccup fumble with his words. I could see the gears turning in his head, but all he could seem to focus on was Finnian. Deciding that it'd be best if I helped him out, I very gently smacked him on the back of his head.

Hiccup let out a little yelp, but held out his hand as a peace offering. Ruff looked at like she was considering biting it, but thankfully she ended up just shaking it.

"Now that everyone knows each other, can we come in?" Finnian motioned for Hiccup and I to come in and there was a slight tingling in my spine as I crossed the threshold. Whatever happened in here would change everything.

It took everything I had in me not to figure out just how much Hiccup and Finnian knew each other. Why weren't they still in contact? Why didn't Hiccup try and stay at Finnian's apartment when he was homeless? Or did he, only for Finnian to reject him?

Focus, I told myself. One messed up relationship at a time.

"Alright Finnian, spill." Ruff, on the other hand, had no such restraint. Her arms were crossed and there was a hard edge to her eyes.

He tried to start, but fumbled with his words every time. His hands were waving all over the place to try and convey what his brain could not.

"He and I went to high school together." He finally said. Ruff huffed and nodded impatiently.

"Yes, you said that earlier. What else?"

"Hiccup was the person I was talking about when I tried to get you guys to agree to meet up. We used to be inseparable, the two of us. I still can't believe I'm seeing again, and that apparently he was homeless?" He turned towards Hiccup. "What happened?"

Hiccup shrugged shyly. "It just kind of happened. I couldn't find a job and then I couldn't afford my apartment."

"But what about Val? Surely your mom would never turn you down if you needed somewhere to stay while you tried to get back on your feet?"

"She's in the hospital. Most of my money has gone into making sure that she's as comfortable as she can be." Finnian's jaw dropped, like it literally hung open. I could see his uvula.

"Val's in the hospital!?" He pulled Hiccup into another bone crushing hug. Ruff looked at me and I could tell she felt just as uncomfortable as I felt. We just kind of stared at each other and she jerked her head into the kitchen. I don't even think they noticed us leaving the room. Or if they did, neither of them acknowledged it.

We walked into the kitchen and the faint smell of tomato sauce thickened exponentially. The pot on the stove was just starting to boil over so I quickly blew on it before stirring the pasta noodles. Ruff followed suit and checked on the sauce and meatballs. Men just couldn't be trusted with cooking, it seemed. Always getting distracted.

"Spaghetti and meatballs, Finnian sure knows comfort food." It was official; I sucked at small talk. Ruff gave me an _are you serious_ look and sighed.

"It was my idea." Ruff said. "I didn't want anything fancy, although you're dressed for a five-star Michelin restaurant. Are you trying to impress me or something?"

"I just didn't want to mess things up. I wasn't sure what kind dinner this would be and I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"You don't look very comfortable in it." Ruffnut remarked and I nodded, because, well, it wasn't. It was restricting my leg movement. "Here, I should have some spare clothes for you in the spare bedroom."

I poked my head into the main living room as Ruff left. Hiccup and Finnian were sitting on the couch talking quietly. I couldn't make out what they were saying. Hiccup's legs were to his chest and Finnian's hands refused to stay still. They both glanced at me once or twice while they talked.

"Here, the bathroom is down the hall." Ruff came back and tossed me a pair of red men athletic shorts and a cotton shirt from a local amusement park. She used to wear these clothes whenever we had sleepovers. I gave her a quick 'thank you' and excused myself.

I gratefully changed and when I came back out, Hiccup and Finnian were in the middle of some secret handshake; I couldn't help bursting out laughing. They quickly put their hands behind their backs.

"Aww," I fake pouted, "Are you guys upset that someone witnessed the ultra-secret handshake?" In all reality, there makeup was giving me hope that Ruff and I could do the same thing, just without waiting years and years to do it. Granted, I still didn't know why they stopped being friends in the first place.

"Actually," Finnian said, "I was testing him to see if he still remembered the Dungeons and Dragons code." He seemed so proud of his answer, I just couldn't keep myself together.

"Like that's any better!" I wiped a tear from my eye. "Oh man, that is the nerdiest thing I have ever heard anyone say. I wouldn't be surprised if you could speak Klingon." Finnian smiled broadly.

"Well actually Hic-" Hiccup shoved his elbow into Finnian's stomach and coughed loudly.

"Shouldn't you be making sure that dinner isn't on fire or something?" Hiccup elbowed him again to make sure that he got the message.

"Oh, right! Dinner!" Finnian quickly excused himself and dashed into the kitchen. Hiccup looked at me innocently.

"So, the secrets out of the bag." I said slowly, taking full advantage of the situation. "Hiccup is a certified nerd. Who would've guessed?"

"it's not my fault. I was diagnosed with nerdness since I was a kid." Hiccup put his head down solemnly with his hands clasped in front of him. "The doctors said there was no cure. I'll be stuck like this forever.

"At least I don't look like I'm ready for a rom-com marathon sleepover."

I lightly punched his shoulder. "Doofus." Hiccups sad façade slipped away as he chuckled lightly. I glanced into the kitchen and saw that Ruff was staring at us with a weird look on her face. Her eyebrows were lightly scrunched together. She quickly averted her gaze when she noticed that I noticed her.

The rest of the time leading up to the dinner was relatively uneventful. I tried small talk a few times unsuccessfully with Ruff or Finnian. The only positive aspect was that Hiccup and Finnian seemed to be getting along really well after their living room talk.

I wished I'd known what they'd said; I could use it to help with Ruff. Although maybe I would find out tonight because they said they were there to help, not to gawk at the latest Star Wars news.

Dinner was uneventful too. No one said anything except for telling Finnian that the spaghetti was amazing. It wasn't a particularly hard dish, but it was one of the best comfort-foods out there and I had stuffed myself.

After dinner, we were all just sitting behind our empty plates, avoiding each other's gazes. Anytime I caught someone's eyes, we both immediately looked a different direction. How was I going to make things better if I couldn't even take the next step?

After what seemed like an eternity, I'd finally had enough of trying to sneak around the bush. "So, are we gonna stare at the ceiling until the sun rises, or are we gonna do something?"

"Well," Finnian said, "That's certainly one way to go about it." He gave a little chuckle to try and lighten up the mood. No one else laughed.

"I think it would be best if Hiccup and I tell you guys our story." Finnian glanced at Hiccup for a green light, who nodded slightly to proceed.

"Like I've said before, Hiccup and I used to be inseparable. I've known him since elementary school and always had at least two classes together; it was like fate was making sure that we were friends. just like you guys – er girls – we had many sleepovers and late nights together."

"But, of course, things change. And, of course, it was because of a girl." Hiccup seamlessly picked up where Finnian left off. "I'm ashamed to say that I was the reason why Finnian and I haven't spoken to each other in a very long time.

"It was our senior year of high school and still thick as thieves. Then there was this new girl named Heather. Finnian was head over heals for her, but she asked me to go to prom with her instead. I, being a scrawny hormonal teenager that had barely said more than a few words to a girl as beautiful as her, accepted without thinking about how my actions would affect my relationship with my best friend.

"I, being insanely smart, decided that it was something that I could try and keep from him." A slight gasp escaped my lips and Hiccup glanced at me. "Yeah, it was one of the stupidest things I've ever done; I realize that now."

"So," Finnian picked up, "When I found out from one of the other students that my best friend was going to take my crush to prom without telling me, I was pretty pissed.

"I confronted him. Things got heated and we both said things we didn't mean. Hiccup tried to fix his mistake by cancelling with Heather, but it was too late for me. I ignored him until he stopped trying and I talked to him since."

We all sat in silence for the next few moments, absorbing it all in. It was like something you'd see in a tv reality show, or read in some fanfic. Those types of fallouts just didn't happen in real life.

"One thing I don't understand is why, after all the pain Hiccup put you through, is why you seemed so eager to see him again." Ruff said. "I mean, it sounds like he ruined your senior year and yet you welcome him into your apartment with open arms?"

I'd been wondering about that too. They made it seem like it was nothing more than a simple disagreement, but it was so much bigger than that.

Hiccup glanced at Finnian before answering. "Well, we were both young and stupid back then. And we've both had a lot of time to think about it. I came to the conclusion that one bad experience shouldn't have ruined that strong of a friendship. There aren't too many people like Fishlegs, as I'm sure you've noticed Ruff.

"I went to call him to try and make up after graduation, but I'd gotten a new phone recently and his number hadn't been transferred over. I decided that it was a sign that I should let him go, only to find out that he'd come to the same conclusion as me all those years ago."

"As much as I hated Hiccup for betraying me. I might have done the same thing back then if someone that pretty asked me out. Neither of us had had a girlfriend at the time." Finnian admitted. "We're all humans, and as humans it is inevitable that we make mistakes. That's what make's us human. As long as get back in the saddle and learn from the experience, then everything should work out.

"I mean look at me. I didn't get Heather, but I ended up dating you Ruffnut; someone far superior in my textbooks." Ruff blushed lightly and I smiled. I was very happy for them. I could tell that he really cared for her. And, even more surprising, was that she cared for him too.

Ruff. She'd taken more men to bed than I was willing to count. Yet, here she was, dating Finnian. The man was a giant teddy bear (no offence to him, I just would've never guessed that was her type from her previous record).

Hiccup got up and grabbed everyone's plates before heading to the sink. "Finnian and I have missed a huge chunk of each other's lives because we were unable to communicate and own up to our mistakes. Don't make the same mistakes that we did."

Finnian nodded in agreement before grabbing the cups and joining him in the kitchen.

"It's crazy how well they know each other still," Ruff commented. "They end on bad terms and don't see each other for years, only to hug it out and act like they were never separated. I can't wrap my brain around it."

Ruff and I just stared at them. Hiccup was washed and Finnian dried before putting them away. They didn't even have to say anything to one another.

"Do you think we're like that, Ruff?" I asked. "Do you think we could be?"

Ruff just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I've seen anyone with a friendship quite as strong as the one they have."

My heart fell, but she was right. Not everyone could have something so unique. Ruff gently grabbed my hand as a shooting star slowly crawled its way down my cheek.

"Maybe we can try, though."

"Alright, so what is the deal with 'fishlegs'?" it was after dinner was all cleaned up and we were lounging around in the living room. Ruffnut, Finnian, and Hiccup were on the fake leather couch and I was splayed out on the one-person chair. I was laying on it sideways to maximize my comfort.

Hiccup chuckled. "It's just what everyone called him back in the day. It was just some mistake he made in science class one day. Since he was regarded as the smartest person in the building, he was never able to live it down. Fishlegs being Fishlegs took it in stride and was never bothered by it. We all used it more and more often and eventually it just sort of replaced his real name.

"Even the teachers started calling him that. I remember spending hours trying to convince him to get it legally changed when he was old enough." Hiccup let out another laugh as he dredged up other memories from his childhood.

One time they had saved up two months of their allowance money to be a Star Wars Lego Set, only for it to be sold out because it was December.

We ended up sharing stories all night. I told Finnian and Hiccup about the time in junior high that Tuffnut had managed to get gum in both Ruff and I's hair on picture day. We'd ganged up on him and the black eye we gave him was forever immortalized in the yearbook. The principal had tried to get Tuffnut to take another picture, talking about how it 'misrepresented the school atmosphere'. Tuff had thrown a fit and demanded that it stay in.

It was surreal; if a stranger walked in on us, they could've thought we were all friend and not the dysfunctional group that we actually were.

Unfortunately, the night had to end. It was well past midnight and everyone had work tomorrow. Yes, even Hiccup. He'd already gotten a call back from that grocery store and they wanted him to start as soon as possible. Before Hiccup and I departed, Ruff gently grabbed my arm and asked for a moment alone.

"I get it now." She said when we got into the kitchen.

"Get what?"

"Why you said what you said to me. I won't pretend that it didn't – doesn't – hurt, but after meeting him and seeing how you two interact. I get it." Ruff gave me a knowing look, only I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be knowing.

"Thanks...?" I thought about asking what she meant, but I decided to just leave it be. I was content just knowing that our friendship wasn't just hanging by a tether anymore. She gave me that knowing look once more before pulling me into a hug.

There were tears coming down both of our faces when we let go and I pulled her right back in for another warm hug.

After another minute, I softened my grip and we parted. We rejoined the boys, who seemed to have had another heart-to-heart while we were away, hand in hand.

"Are you ready to go, Hiccup?" He looked at me and tossed my jacket.

"Are you? Don't you need to give Ruff her clothes back?" Oh yeah, I was still wearing her pajamas. I went to go to the bathroom, but Ruff stopped me.

"Don't worry about it, just give them to me next time." My eyes nearly popped out when she pulled Hiccup for a hug. "You take care of her, you hear me?"

"Of course." He didn't hesitate and Ruff smiled.

"Good."

"Alright then, you two need to get going." Finnian said and before I knew it, we were out in the icy embrace of the night. The cold wind bit my defenseless legs and tousled my hair.

"I can't believe I wore a stupid dress instead of pants and long underwear." I muttered. At least there wasn't any snow or ice on the ground; I felt like I would shatter into tiny icicles if I fell.

A puff of white frost escaped Hiccups mouth as he laughed at my discomfort. "No one to blame but yourself. At least were only a few blocks away now."

A few blocks was too far for me so I suddenly broke into a sprint.

"Hey!" Hiccup laughed again as he ran after me. I would let him almost catch up to me before igniting another burst of speed and leaving him in the dust. The chilly air prevented me from overheating and I was having an absolute blast.

I came to a stop outside the door to our apartment complex and even did a little victory dance when Hiccup caught up to me. He was panting heavily and his nose was as red as Rudolph's on Christmas Eve.

"Not… fair…" He muttered between gulps of air. "You didn't tell me we were racing."

"Not everything is a competition, Hiccup." I chided. He glared at me, but only for a moment.

"I know it was all by chance and that you never intended for it to happen, but I really want to thank you for reuniting me with Fishlegs. Life really hasn't been the same since our fallout. I know I was a little distracted tonight and wasn't able to exclusively focus on you and Ruff but it looked like it worked out in the en-"

"Can we go inside?" I interrupted. I'd been standing still and my adrenaline high was fading. "It is _really _cold out here."

"Oh yeah, of course." Hiccup quickly opened up the door and soon we were surrounded by fluffy blankets on the couch drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows.

**AN: Look at me, updating on schedule. What did you guys think of the chapter? Where you happy with how dinner went down? Do you think my story is bad? Is it too boring? Has it lost the touch it had in the beginning? I personally think that there's a little too much dialogue in this chapter, but that's just me.**

**I wanted to thank MarleneMCA, hiccstridontheland, and Candy_lover00 for adding this story to one of their reading lists! That's awesome! Thank you, I really appreciate you guys spreading my story around. **

**I also posted a teaser chapter of the sequel to The Hunt for Bill. I'd love it if you guys checked it out and told me what you thought. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted because this story is my focus right now and I'm still ironing out all the details. We'll see.**

**You guys can skip the next part if you want, it's just me talking a little bit about my creative process.**

**So, every story that I write on here, I experiment with different styles and techniques. My first story was in third person and it changed characters. This one is first person and solely from Astrid's perspective. The other one I had a lot of material to work off and had a light outline on where I wanted the story to go. This one is completely improvised (The sequel for Hunt for Bill will be 100% planned out before I start writing it seriously in case you were curious). I'm not sure what I'm going to write until it's on the word document. It's been a lot of fun, but I'm almost through with this leg of the journey, and if I want this story to continue to grow, I need a new drive. Some new problem for Astrid to face. If you guys want to leave any suggestions in a review or PM me, I'd love to hear what you have to say! **

**See you next week and stay safe!**


	9. Chapter 9

I was as light as a feather the next morning. Ruff and I were on the path to becoming friends again, I'd reunited Hiccup with an old friend, and then Hiccup and I spent the rest of the night on the couch with our hot chocolate. We talked and talked for hours. And when we ran out of things to talk about, we just sat there, enjoying each other's company.

And when we were done enjoying each other's company and a late night became an early morning, we fell asleep on the couch together. His feet were by my head and vice versa. We shared a light throw blanket. The thought of going to our beds to sleep never crossed my mind; I was content on that couch, and Hiccup was warm. Hiccup was warm and solid. His body was there next to mine and I could feel his presence next to me. And we slept.

In the morning, we woke up and went around are business. He seemed a little embarrassed, but I was feeling untouchable. So much had been at stake yesterday and it couldn't have gone any better. I made scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon while he was in the shower. We talked while we ate. Not of the night before, but of the day ahead. Hiccup was going to start working at the grocery store today and wanted to stop by the hospital to visit his mom before clocking in. I wanted to go with him, but I had to work as well and my shift started soon. I was also getting my haircut and picking up some fresh bread to go with dinner after work so I told him he should just go and tell Val that I was sorry and that I would definitely be there next time.

Hiccup left after the dishes were cleaned and put away. The apartment seemed a little less dull, a little less alive after he closed the door behind him. The apartment had never felt this way before. I left early for work.

Booker was there to greet me with a giant smile that brought the restaurant to life. His smile was a lighthouse shining across the dead sea. "Astrid! I don't know what's gotten into you, showing up for work early twice in a few days. Usually I have the exact opposite problems with kids your age!" I smiled as Books laughed at his own joke because he lit up the restaurant. The soundwaves of his thrumming laughter bounced off the walls, bursting with energy.

"What can I say? I'd rather be making money than losing it," It wasn't exactly true, but it was easier than trying to say how I wanted to be in this atmosphere were people were. I wanted to be in a place that was teeming with _aliveness_.

"Ain't that the truth. Ha!" Books gave another chuckle before retreating back into the kitchen to help the other cooks prepare for the midday rush. He needed everything to be just right in the kitchen to not drown in the flood of orders.

Work went by really fast, time flies when you're having fun or something like that. Books, as usual, was able to pump out the orders and no one had to wait very long for their meal. The man was a natural.

After my shift ended, I gave Books a quick hug and went for that haircut. There was a great, and by great I mean cheap, place just a few blocks away. It wasn't a salon where they gave you a massage or a manicure while they washed your hair. They did the minimum and it cost the minimum.

The haircut went fine. I kept my golden bangs choppy so that they fell in front of my face if I wasn't paying attention to them. It could get frustrating, but my mom used to cut my hair when we were younger and that's how she cut my hair. Every time I blew my bangs out of my eyes, I thought of her and smiled.

I also got my ends trimmed back an inch or two (I said an inch but it felt like the stylist took two) to get rid of the split ends.

I stopped by the bakery on the way back to the apartment. It was a small, locally owned bakery that took pride in making everything the morning of with ingredients so fresh that even I could tell the difference between it and the stuff they sell at the bigger grocery stores. Sometimes I would stop by because the entire shop smelled like freshly baked bread.

Hazel, the owner, was behind the counter when I walked in. Her olive skin glistened with a thin coat of sweat and her curly hair was up in a ponytail; she must've just finished preparing a batch of bread. She looked up when the little bell by the door chimed softly.

"Astrid, it's so good to see you." Everyone who knew Hazel said that she had the warmest smile. It was the epitome of kindness. She could brighten anyone's day, no matter how miserable, with a single flash of her teeth.

"I'm doing great," I gave her a smile of my own before looking at the wide selection of baked goods. There were too many choices. There were the rectangular loafs of bread and the more rounded ones. Some were as small as the size of your fist and some could feed a family of four for a few days. "What should I get?"

Hazel hummed softly to herself before going over three different loafs of bread. I ended up getting a freshly baked garlic-sourdough bread with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. She said it was one of her personal favorites and if that wasn't enough to convince me, the heavenly aroma surrounding it certainly did.

She rung it up for me and I made sure to leave her as big a tip as I could. The place was a certified whole-in-the wall, and there was no way I was letting it get shut down.

"Have a great day!" Hazel said as I walked out the door. I told her to do the same before the door closed behind me. I was still untouchable. The wind fluttered through my hair and it was making it messy, but it didn't matter.

I floated into the apartment and immediately the bubble popped. Something was wrong. Hiccup was home and that was great, but it was wrong. Maybe it was the way his shoulders drooped, or how he didn't greet me when I walked in like he always does.

He was just sitting on the couch with his head down, staring at his hands. Hiccup was sad, and suddenly everything was sad. I put down the bread on the counter and sat down next to him. The bread, which I'd been so excited for just a few moments ago, was nothing more than an afterthought now. I put my hand on his shoulder and slid into a hug.

We didn't talk for a few moments; I was letting him make the first move. For the moment, I was there to lend my support. Finally, he lifted up his head and looked at me.

"I don't want to work there anymore." His tone was so defeated that it nearly broke my heart. He sounded like an abused puppy.

"Oh Hiccup," I muttered softly. "What happened?" I ran my hands through his hair, like my mom used to do to me after a bad day at school.

"First off, the general manager is a total jerk. He asked me to confirm my address and I couldn't remember yours off the top of my head. He asked why I was I having trouble, and I decided that honesty was the best policy. I told him how I'd been homeless and was currently staying at a friend's house until I could get back on my feet.

"And he laughed at me, like those cold nights were a joke. Like I hadn't felt hunger so ravenous that I had to resort to begging on occasions," Hiccup spat, face red with humility. "Every day I prayed that I wouldn't run into anyone that knew me. It was one of the worst few days of my life. It was dehumanizing. And he laughed."

"What kind of man could laugh at something like that?" I was stunned. How could someone be so cruel? To treat an _employee_ that way. Hiccup was helping that creature earn money. "You need to leave. Immediately."

"I should – and I wish I could – but I can't. My mom was so happy that I had found a job and that I was getting back on my feet. She hadn't looked so… so _alive_ since she met you. How could I look her in the eye and tell here that I quit just because of some bully? That would break her heart." Hiccup let out a groan of frustration and put his head in his hands.

"Hiccup, look at me." His glassy eyes stared into mine and I tried to soak my words with conviction. "I am positive that your mom would much rather you be jobless than work for that man. You need to quit, and we can start looking at other jobs. I'm sure that there are many places that would be more than happy to hire you."

"No, I have to keep working there." Hiccups voice was getting stronger and stronger. He was trying to convince himself that this was a good idea! "I may have exaggerated how he reacted; he isn't that bad of a person."

"What are you thinking?" I hissed. "Hiccup, get out of there. Don't be an idiot!"

"I can handle him. We need the money and it would be stupid for me to just quit without at least having a backup job already in place. Besides, I hate being your charity case." _What?_

"Is that what you think of this? That I'm taking care of you like someone would a dog they found on the side of the road?" I shook my head in disbelief. This was ridiculous! "You are so much more than that, Hiccup. You saved my life, and in return you've become an amazing friend. I won't let you belittle yourself that way."

"Then let me keep the job so I can help pay rent. Let me be able to contribute" His tone was a glass canon; persuasive, but if I kept pushing, I felt that he would crack.

"Hiccup, you're torturing yourself if you stay there."

"And I'm torturing everyone else if I leave."

"What are you afraid of, Hiccup? What are you avoiding?" I stared him down. I wasn't going to let this go without a real explanation. I watched in slight satisfaction as the excuses died in his mouth. He couldn't come up with anything that made sense. Finally, he settled.

"Why do you think that Finnian and I stopped being friends?" I was hesitant to let him change the subject; I didn't want him getting out of the whole he'd dug himself into. But, if this was his way of explaining things, I had to let him get it off of his chest.

"Because you stole his girl without his permission?"

"No – well yes I did do that – but that was the effect, not the cause." Hiccup sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "The cause was my hate for confrontations. My dad was a very… honest man. We used to argue day and night. Countless tears were shed over the littlest things; we were both just too stubborn for own good. I loved that man, and he did his best to be a great father, but there are times when I wished he wasn't my father. And I'm sure there are times when he wished that I wasn't his son."

Hiccup quietly wiped a tear away and I pretended not to notice.

"Well after he passed away, I decided that I hated arguments and confrontations. No one wins. I don't mind it when both sides are having fun, but when things get serious, all I can see is his look of disappointment. I couldn't tell Fishlegs that the girl he liked had asked me out because I couldn't see the heartbreak on his face. And I couldn't deal with the fight that would happen after it. I could hear every word he would say; countless imaginary arguments in my head to rationalize avoiding the one in real life.

"And so, I'm faced with similar circumstances. I can run away and avoid the hard road, or I can do what is necessary and bite the bullet. Money is money and until there is another job that accepts me, I need to continue working at that hellhole. I'm sick and tired of running away from my problems."

I wanted to tell him to stop being stupid, but I couldn't. I saw the logic, as twisted as it was, in his words. And we did need money, I could only support two people for so long on my measly paychecks for so long.

I hated it. I hated Hiccup being forced to work in an unhealthy work environment. I hated that I needed to let him make his own decisions. I hated all of it.

And yet I had to let him do it. He was more than capable to make his own decisions, and I didn't have too much say over his life anyways. He may be living with me, but I wasn't his mom.

"Fine." I conceded. "But don't think for one second that I'm okay with this. You don't belong there and the second you find another job opening you are quitting."

Hiccup let out a small sigh in relief. It was ironic how he would fight with me just so that he wouldn't have to fight someone else.

"Thank you."

It didn't feel like I deserved to be thanked.

I huddled around my phone late at night, encased in my fluffy blanket. I was texting Ruff to see if see had any other places that Hiccup could work at. She'd apologized profusely when she found out how what happened. She knew he was a jerk, but he also the best out of the options she could find on such short notice. She promised me that she'd ask around to see if anyone else was hiring.

I asked her how her and Finnian were getting along and she said that she was really happy. They spent most nights together now, although they were apparently going really slow on the more intimate parts of being in a relationship. It was mildly surprising because Ruff has gotten laid on the first date before and hooked up with strangers at bars, but Finnian was different. Finnian made Ruff different, or maybe he allowed her to be herself.

Ruff had done all of those men as a form of stress relief. Finnian was a giant teddy bear that Ruff could verbally vent to. According to her, one time he'd made popcorn and tea (a weird combination, but I wasn't judging) and listened as she told him her entire life story. Ruff hadn't been this happy in years.

Dinner had been quieter than usual. I barely said a word to Hiccup, and he talked even less. He did comment on the bread, though. It was incredible; very light and fluffy. After dinner, we retreated to our own rooms for the night. And by that I meant I went to my bedroom. Hiccup still slept on the couch by the tv. We both had a lot on our minds and I thought it would be best to give him space so that he could sort things out in his head in private.

I rolled over because my neck was starting to feel sore at being at an unnatural angle. Why did adulting have to be so difficult? Hiccup didn't like who he was working with. In school, all you had to do was tell your teacher and you were swiftly added to a different group. Who could Hiccup tell? He was stuck in between a rock and a hard place.

I wasn't in a much better position either. I was just treading water at the moment. I had my English degree, but I wasn't using it. Much like how Hiccup wasn't using his degrees either. I had gotten jobs to pay off my previous loans, but I had been forced to pick between them and Hiccup. While it was no contest, I'd lost a few nights sleep over it.

Would I ever actually become a lawyer? Or was I doomed to work in the food industry while my degree gathered cobwebs.

I glanced at the list of law schools I wanted to apply to. The longer I waited, the more my skills would deteriorate. If I didn't apply soon, I wouldn't be able to get in. But if I applied, then I would leave Hiccup to fend for himself until his mother got out of the hospital so he wouldn't have to worry about those hospital bills.

Well, even if I sent my application now, I wouldn't have to leave for several months. And I would have to take the stupid LSAT! How could I forget about that? That was the most important part of getting into Law School and I hadn't studied since I met Hiccup. That was unacceptable.

Law School was the dream; I had to get in. I wanted to help people. While there was a valid argument that the side jobs I was currently working helped people too, it wasn't to the same caliber. And I wasn't degrading people that did that for a living, we needed them and they were definitely appreciated. It just wasn't my calling.

A quick google search found me a schedule that would help me review everything that would be on the test in a matter of weeks. If I took the test early next year, I could still apply for the next fall semester.

I still had to deal with my loans from undergrad. I'm sure my family was willing to help, they'd offered before, but I'd always wanted to do this all on my own. I wanted to leave no doubt that I had worked my ass off to be a lawyer.

There wasn't enough time to do it on my own, though. If I wanted enough time to study properly, I couldn't pick up another job. Either I asked my parents for help, or I would risk failing that LSAT.

That settled it, I would call my dad tomorrow. I may not like losing the battle, but winning the war was more important. I really hoped Hiccup would be okay with me going for law school. I didn't want him to feel like I was choosing some job over him.

Wait, why should I care what Hiccup cares about this? He didn't have any right to judge me for trying to get into law school. It wasn't just some job, it was my dream job. I wasn't even sure how long we would be living together? Would he leave once he could afford to live on his own? Did I want him to? He was a lot of fun to be around and was super kind. He made my apartment come alive in a way it never had when I was alone. He knew when to make me smile, and when it was okay to be sad and grieve.

It was too late for this deep thinking. I plugged my phone in and went to sleep; these dilemmas would still be here in the morning.

**AN: Hey guys! Another week, another chapter ****(It passed the wordcount of my other story! Super proud of myself)****. I hope you guys liked it. I know I only briefly mentioned what Hiccup and Astrid majored in all the way back in chapter two, but I wanted to bring it back in and develop it a bit further. That's the problem with updating as you go and improvising the whole story, you never really know how you want things to end up.**

**Does the Finnian/Fishlegs thing confuse anyone? Astrid calls him Finnian because she wasn't there when the fishlegs incident happened like Hiccup was, and that's why he calls him Fishlegs. I'll probably have the name rub off onto Astrid and Ruff as the story goes on, but not until they all get to know each other a little bit better.**

**So, since no one reviewed saying they didn't like my longer authors note last chapter where I gave some insight about how I go about writing, I've decided to continue it. It may not be every chapter, but I liked sharing and being open about things I've learned about writing. It also makes me feel a little more intimate with you guys and that's a big plus to me. So without further ado:**

**I realized just how much what book I'm reading affects my writing style. Earlier this week, I was reading "The Island," by Gary Paulsen. It's a slower paced book that repeats a lot to bring emphasis into what he's trying to get across to the reader. The opening segment of this chapter is very different than what I've written previously and it reminds of that book. I finished it and started another book and so my writing style shifted again throughout the chapter. I wonder if how my writing would shift if I read a classical book, such as Pride and Prejudice or A Tale of Two Cities? These fanfictions are all about experimenting and trying to become a stronger writer, so I probably will just to see what happens and how it affects me.**

**I've also figured out what seems… off about most fanfics. Most characters feel flat and underdeveloped, and that's because they are. And I'm not trying to be mean to anyone at all, I love that people are creating fanfictions and telling stories. It's amazing and they've helped build amazing communities. I just want to see how they differ from books that are on sale at Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million, and to me it's the amount of planning that goes into a story. I'm following this guide on how to build a proper story as I plan out my next fanfic, and it's crazy how much detail people put into the story before actually writing it. As I've said before, I have planned very, very little of this story out. As a result, I fumble around a lot (especially on personalities).**

**One reason people may not plan their stories to such a high degree, besides the huge amount of time and energy it requires, is that most characters they use are already developed. For instance, someone told me that I wasn't portraying Ruff correctly. They were absolutely correct and I'm glad they said something. It showed that I didn't know the characters I'm using inside and out. I'm just borrowing them and that can lead to difficulties when I'm throwing them into situations that the original character has never faced. **

**Once again, I'm not trying to be mean to anyone who writes fanfiction. There are definitely stories out there that are beautifully crafted and are works of art. Much better than what I'm writing. But in general, it's something that I've noticed and that is one reason why it may be the case (another reason could be uploading chapters as they're written).**

**I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings, that really wasn't the intention if I did. This little AN turned into something much longer than I'd originally planned for.**

** I'll see y'all next week!**

**Oh! If any of you are really really bored and wants to make some sort of cover for any of my stories, please PM me! It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, but it'll go on both and Wattpad!**


	10. Chapter 10

Ruff failed me.

After five whole days of searching, nothing. How could no one in this city be hiring? The only place Ruff could offer was down at the local butcher, but that place had a reputation of mentally scarring anyone that set foot in that horrid place, let alone work there.

No, Hiccup would not work there.

I wish he would stop working at that grocery store, he came home exhausted every day. They worked him ragged because the manager knew he couldn't quit, or that he refused to quit. It was ridiculous. He spent most of his time being a janitor even though he was hired on to restock the shelves with produce.

He was being used. I'm sure it was against one of the labor laws, but it wasn't worth trying to produce.

A buzz interrupted my thoughts. I slowly opened my eyes to the faint rays of dawn coming through the window. I grasped blindly for my phone. It was blurry at first until my eyes adjusted to the harsh blue light. It was a text from my dad.

_Have you bought your ticket to fly home yet?_

Fly home? I wasn't planning on going home until-

Christmas!

How was it already the 19th? It seemed like only a few days had passed since Thanksgiving. Had Hiccup really been living with me for that long? I haven't started my Christmas shopping! The only gift I had was for Ruff and Tuff. I needed to get something for my family and Hiccup and Booker if there was money left in the budget.

I sent Ruff a quick SOS that I needed someone to go shopping with. I was _terrible_ at getting gifts for people. I always spent too much money, or not nearly as much. Either way I ended up feeling embarrassed. Thankfully, Ruff and Tuff and I came up with a pact that we would always get each other the weirdest pair of socks that we could find. It was great because it was a fairly cheap gift that guaranteed a great time. Last year I got a pair that had King Kong eating a banana sundae! We'd built up quite the collection over the years.

Luckily Ruff was free in the afternoon and was willing to help. I promised dinner afterwards.

I looked up flight tickets back home. They weren't cheap, but thankfully they wouldn't break my bank account either. I thought about purchasing them now so I could tell my dad that I had, but I couldn't press the final button.

Hiccup knocked softly on my door. "Hey, I made some breakfast if you want any."

I smiled and told him I would be out in just a few seconds. Deciding that it was a good morning for a run, I slipped into a long sleeve shirt and a pair of running tights before heading out into the kitchen.

"Oh wow," Hiccup had made French toast and I could smell the cinnamon and powdered sugar as soon as I opened my door. It looked just as good as it smelled. Hiccup had even warmed the syrup up. I dug right in and only realized that this wasn't the best meal to eat before doing any sort of physical activity. It was so heavy, but it was too late. I couldn't stop myself once I'd started. It was just too good to put down. "Hiccup, this is amazing."

"Thanks, I wanted a good morning so that I could at least start the day off on a high note." Oh right, he was working today. If he wanted to let himself be exploited, then so be it. Whatever. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Ruff and I are meeting up to go shopping." It was almost comical how he immediately lost interest as soon as I said the magic word. _Shopping_. How typical.

"You guys have fun with that." At least he didn't ask me what I was getting, I didn't want to come up with a lie that he wouldn't believe, and I definitely didn't want to tell him I was looking for a Christmas present for him. He couldn't afford to get me anything and I definitely didn't want him to try.

"Hey, Hiccup…" I thought about bringing up our futures and how they were heading in different directions, but it didn't seem like the right time. It never did. Every time I tried to bring it up, I backed down. If I was being honest with myself, I was scared how he would react. If he thought, even for a second, that he was holding me back from doing something that I wanted, I was sure that he would bolt the moment my back was turned. That being said, I pulled out my old books and spent my nights reviewing materials.

"Yeah?" He gave me a slightly worried glance. I had to bring it up with him soon. We needed to be on the same page.

"Umm, can you pass me the syrup." _Coward_. Hiccup gave me another look and then handed me the syrup that was closer to me than it was to him. _Idiot_. "Thank you." I muttered softly.

Hiccup left after the dishes were cleaned and put away and I was left alone again until I met up with Ruff. Deciding not to let this time go to waste, I immediately pulled out my LSAT review books. I set up everything out in the kitchen because my bedroom could feel a little claustrophobic at times.

I had the book to my left and I was copying down what I considered to be important details on a spiral notebook on my left. I'd barely gotten through a quarter of a page of notes when Hiccup burst back in the apartment.

"Hey Astrid, don't mind me," He called as he quickly went through his clothes. "It is super windy out today, came back up to add another layer so I didn't freeze on the way to work. See ya!" And he was out the door as sudden as he came in.

I had been like a deer in the headlights, completely rigid. If Hiccup had glanced at me for more than a second, he would've noticed. Luckily, he had been so intent on not being late for work that he hadn't.

What was wrong with me? I wasn't doing anything wrong and I certainly wasn't ashamed of it either. I tried to get back into the groove, but I kept distracting myself with insecurities and doubts. I made a cup of steaming hot black tea to soothe my thoughts.

Focus.

I was able to get through a respectable chunk before Ruff sent a text saying that she was ready to meet up. Not a second too soon either, I was sure I would've fallen asleep if I kept going. Some stuff was genuinely interesting, but not this chapter. it was all about how to understand a dense, scholarly article and pull information out of it. I'd done that countless times getting my English degree and it was so tiresome.

I put on my winter gear and bolted out of the apartment, leaving everything on the kitchen table. Ruff wanted to try the new department store off of main street. Ruff got there before me and was waiting for me off to the side of the entrance.

"Hey, Astrid." She pulled me into a quick hug before we went searching for gifts. Ruff hadn't gotten anything for Finnian yet either. She'd also started calling him 'Fishlegs'.

"It just fits." She laughed. "It just rolls off the tongue."

The store was stacked with all sorts of generic Christmas, but Hiccup wasn't generic. I didn't want to get him the first thing that caught my eye. He'd act like he really enjoyed it, but within a week it would be forgotten about. I was determined to get him something that he would actually enjoy, something that he could actually use.

I just didn't know what that was.

We searched the whole store, and I didn't find anything that met my standards. Ruff had pointed out a few potential ideas, but I didn't get any of them. The fact that Ruff had seen it first didn't feel right; I wanted to be the first one to discover it. So that it would be 100% my gift.

Ruff had found a gift for _Fishlegs._ I tried the name out in my head and nodded. It really did roll off the tongue. Anyway, she'd picked out some nerdy card game she thought that they'd like. We were on our way to a different store when a question dredged itself from my subconscious thoughts.

"Do you think I should go home for Christmas?"

If Ruff was drinking anything, I'm sure she would've spit it out. "What? Why wouldn't you? You already missed Thanksgiving."

"My dad asked if I bought a ticket to come home for Christmas, but I haven't yet. I had looked up flights and I found a flight that would work, but I didn't go through with it."

"Well you know that Tuff and I aren't going back, so maybe you would rather spend it with us. Or maybe there's someone else you want to spend Christmas time with…" Ruff wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Who? Hiccup?" Of course, she would think that. "It's not because of him. Although I could use some advice about him – And nothing like that!" I hurried after Ruff smiled devilishly.

"Pity" She pouted. "Well then what do you need help with?"

"I'm having trouble telling Hiccup that I'm going to apply to Law School for the fall?"

"Really? Astrid, that's great!" Ruff beamed. It was so rare to see her with a smile so genuine that I just stopped and took it in. "But… why are you having trouble telling Hiccup? I'm sure he'd be just as excited as I am."

"I don't want him to feel like he is getting in the way of my career. If he realized that I'd put my plans on hold since he moved in, he'd bolt the second I turned my back.

"I don't want to see him leave because he felt that he was in the way, or that maybe that I was starting to prioritize Law School over him."

Ruff glanced around quickly to make sure no one was nearby before she slapped me across the face. "Listen to yourself, Astrid! That's the pansiest shit I've ever heard you say. Get a grip; you _should_ prioritize Law School over him. I'm sure that he'll understand, and if he doesn't, he needs to get over himself."

She was right. I couldn't let him stop me from achieving my goals because I was afraid that he might react in the wrong way. There was a 97% chance that he would be totally fine with everything I've been doing, why should I let 3% stop me? I was better than that. I was Astrid Hofferson for God's sake!

"You're right! If he feels like I should focus on him rather than my career, then he can go suck an egg." Ruff burst out laughing.

"Shut up." My face flushed red. I was so pumped that I didn't even think about what was coming out of my mouth, and Ruff was eating it up.

"What vulgar language!" She wiped a tear that was starting to form, "You need to wash your mouth with soap after that one."

Ruff finally managed to get herself under control right as we were entering the next store. I was thoroughly disappointed with it. It may have a different name, but this store was basically a carbon copy of the previous place. I saw the exact same toys and trinkets that I saw in the other store. What was the point of making this huge building if there was one identical to it just a few blocks away?

"This place is a waste of time." I groaned. I needed a good – great – gift for Hiccup and I was positive that it wouldn't be found here. "Let's get out of here."

I wasn't really sure where to look for Hiccup's gift, but it wouldn't be in any of the generic places. I thought about trying the mall, but all of those shops were massive chains that all blurred together within a half hour. We needed someplace that was actually different.

After an hour of walking through town, I decided to leave empty handed. Ruff was getting frustrated that nothing seemed to meet my standards and frankly so was I. Why couldn't I just pick something and be done with it? I know I'm terrible at picking gifts for people, but this was ridiculous.

"Better luck next time." Ruff gave me a quick hug before we went our different ways. Ruff was off to work and I wanted to go home so I could start making dinner for Hiccup and I.

Once again, I stopped by to see Hazel and pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I was a little surprised to see that there was a line today. it seemed like the people were finally realizing that there was a fantastic local bakery that made homemade goods at a very respectable price. It took a few minutes, but soon I was next in line.

"Astrid!" Hazel beamed, "It's so great to see you!" If the heavenly smell wasn't enough to lift my spirits, her smile certainly was. It was impossible to be in a bad mood within a ten-foot radius of her.

"Hi, Hazel. What do you recommend today?" She thought for a second before looking through her supplies. She was humming to herself softly as she perused the display shelves. She shook her head softly before heading into the backroom. I felt a little bit like Harry Potter in the wand shop. She popped out with a huge smile and loaf of bread

"I think that you'd really enjoy this Mediterranean bread." Hazel handed it to me so that I could take a closer look at it. "It has sundried tomatoes, dried peppers, and various other herbs. I just started learning how to make it and would love it if you gave me some feedback."

"That sounds amazing." I commented. "I'll make sure to let you know what I think of it." Hazel beamed and wrung it up. She flipped the receipt over and wrote something down before handing it to me.

"Here's my number. I know it's a little strange since we don't really know each other that well, but you're a regular and I want to hear your thoughts as soon as you try it so that I can make any changes before I make another batch tomorrow morning."

"Of course! I'm sure I'll love it." I told her before heading home. Hazel was such a sweetheart. I'm sure she created an amazing work environment for anyone that worked for her, unlike Hiccup's boss.

I walked into the apartment ready to start making dinner, but when I opened the door, Hiccup was already home. On the table were all of my law books! I'm sure he saw them; how could I have been so stupid?

"Hey Astrid." He greeted, "Would you mind moving your stuff off of the table? I would've done it, but I wasn't sure where to put them." He was nonchalantly standing near the stove stirring something in a pot.

"Yo…You're not upset?" Hiccup gave me a worried glance.

"Why would I be upset? The textbooks aren't ruining my night, they're only in the way of dinner. Unless you want to eat on the couch."

"But they're law textbooks?"

"And? Should I be expecting anything else from someone who plans on going to law school?" Hiccup came over and put a hand on my forehead. "Are you okay, Astrid?"

"I thought you'd be upset. That maybe you would feel like you were the reason that I stopped studying in the first place."

"Well, if you stopped studying when I moved in, then I probably was the reason." I was about to tell him that he wasn't, but he was right. Of course, it was my fault for letting him distract me, but he was the catalyst that threw my study habits out the window. "But it looks like you're back on track. Besides, I'd rather not sleep in the snow; it'd take a lot more than that for me to leave."

Fair point.

"But what about if I get accepted? I'd have to move – the closest law school is still a few hours away. What would you do then? Would you even still be living with me that far down the road?"

"If you got into law school, then I'd be happy for you." Hiccup said, just like Ruff said that he would. "Hopefully, I'd be making enough money to afford to rent my own apartment by then, but if not then I'll find some other way. Maybe find someone to split an apartment with."

On that note, I finally cleared the table and put the books away on the little bookshelf in my room. I sighed in relief. Hiccup not being mad took a lot of weight off my shoulders and I didn't have to hide out in my room to study anymore.

I walked back in as Hiccup finished setting the table. "How was work?" I asked, hoping that today would be the day that he would come to his senses.

Hiccup sighed and ran his hand through his head, something he always did when he was stressed. "It didn't start off bad, but near the end, when I was restocking one of the shelves, an old friend of my mom's recognized me.

"We talked for a bit and she was confused about why I was working here and not something that aligned with my degree. She was disappointed in me, even after I told her I had to put that to the side because I needed instant money so that I could afford the hospital bills. I tried to explain that most of the jobs that I would be interested in start out as internships, but she still felt that I was wasting my life away."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about." I interjected, "If she was really your moms' friend, then she should've been more concerned with her health. Family is more important than money."

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Dinner was a little quiet. The bread was delicious, though. If I had to make any changes, I'd look into making the bread just a little bit denser so that it could compliment the tomatoes better. I made a mental note to text Hazel later to let her know what I thought.

Hiccup was still a little down. He was always there to help cheer me up and it was my turn to return the favor. I left quietly as he laid on the couch, staring at a book. Within ten minutes I was back with a little bag behind my back.

I gently shook him out of his stupor and handed him the bag. "Here you go; a little something to lift your spirits." He opened it up and pulled out a small slice of dessert I'd picked up from a local Italian restaurant. "I hope you like raspberry cheesecake.

"I know it won't soften the blows you've been hit with today," I told him, "But hopefully you can at least end it on a high note."

Hiccup didn't say anything for a moment; he just stared at the treat in his lap. A tight smile appeared on his face and it looked like he was holding back a tear. "Thank you, Astrid. This was exactly what I needed." He took a little bite and I could watch as the weight was lifted off his back.

I had originally planned on studying tonight, but helping out an amazing friend was much more important. I could hit the books tomorrow morning, but if I waited to comfort Hiccup until then, it'd be too late. Hiccup looked on the TV for some movie to watch as I made two cups of tea. We ended up lounging on opposite ends of the couch with our legs overlapping, all under a blanket.

He never said anything about it, but I could tell he was drawing comfort from the physical contact. It was in the way his smile widened slightly when I laid down, or how I could watch his worries melt away when we were together. He was as happy – no, that wasn't the right word – content as I've ever seen him.

And, if I was being totally honest, so was I.

**AN: Hey guys! Another Sunday, another chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it; I brought in just a little more chemistry this chapter between Hiccup and Astrid. **

**I really have no idea how long this fanfic should be. I have a few more ideas that would take a few chapters to resolve, but I don't know if I want to try and make this story as long as I possible can. Would you guys rather me tell my story and end it, or see how long I can keep the momentum going?**

**On a side note, I have some bad news. I was officially hired to staff at Philmont for the summer (assuming it's still going to happen)! For those who aren't familiar with the place, Philmont is a high-adventure backpacking Boy Scout camp in the backcountry of New Mexico. I will be at one of the staff camps for almost the entire summer (about three months). I am super excited and if any of my readers are going to be there this summer, please let me know! Unfortunately, there isn't much reception out there, and I don't even know if it's practical to take a laptop so there is a big possibility that I won't be active at all during the summer. I know the summer is still a good way away, but I just wanted to let you guys know what's happening. I'll bring it up again closer to when I leave. Hopefully you guys are okay with this, I absolutely love the outdoors and it's not every day I get paid to camping for three months.**

**I'll see y'all in another week!**


	11. Chapter 11

Another day, another sense of disappointment as I walk out of stores empty handed. I groaned in frustration; nothing seemed acceptable. I'd perused a few geeky online shops last night, but everything looked like it would either break in a few days or break my wallet. I was so desperate to get something that he would thoroughly enjoy that I was almost considering the second option. Almost.

I had one last trick up my sleeve. It's why I was currently standing outside of an apartment where I'd only been once before. I gently knocked on the door. I could hear the burly man's footsteps as he came to see who it was.

"Astrid?" Fishleg's shock was muffled by the door. He quickly opened the door. "I can't say I was expecting you to show up; do you need something?" He glanced behind me to see if anyone else was with me, a little bewildered when he realized that it was just me.

"May I come in?" I asked. I felt exposed in the hallway and was relieved when Fishlegs quickly fumbled over himself to let me in. His apartment was just as cozy as before, although this time Ruff and Hiccup weren't here. Ruff was at work and Hiccup wasn't here for, well, obvious reasons. "I came to ask for some advice concerning Hiccup. I figured that you'd know him better than anyone."

"Really?" Fishlegs looked at me skeptically, "I mean, we have a long history, but I've only just reconnected with him. If it were up to me, I'd say that you were the Hiccup expert. After all, he is staying at your apartment and not mine."

I don't know if he meant it this way, but he had a good point. Why didn't Hiccup move into Fishleg's apartment? Isn't it every kid's dream to live with their best friend one day? Maybe it was because he didn't want to hear Fishlegs and Ruff make out at night.

"I need help getting him a Christmas present."

"Ohhh, I see." He nodded his head like it all made sense, "Ruff told me about your um… expeditions into various stores across the city. Let me guess, you're banking that I know just the place that will have the _perfect_ gift. For a person that I haven't seen in years. He's changed a lot since I last called him my friend."

Fishlegs raised his hands and shoulders in the 'I don't know' pose apologetically. "I'm sorry, Astrid. I truly am, but I don't feel qualified in this department anymore."

I sighed in defeat. "It's okay, Fishlegs. I'll find something eventually."

He let out a little chuckle. "So, you've also taken to my nickname, eh? So has Ruffnut." I hadn't even realized that I'd called him Fishlegs. It just suited him so well. "It's kind of nice to hear, honestly. It's very nostalgic."

"I better get going then." I didn't want to be mean but I needed to continue my search. "If you think of anything, anything at all, please let me know."

"Of course," He said as he opened the door for me (what a gentleman). "It was nice seeing you, sorry I couldn't be of too much help.

I was back on the street without a direction. I didn't have to work for another hour. It was just close enough to make walking all the way back to the apartment not worth it; I would get to my apartment and then have to leave ten minutes later. On the other hand, I couldn't think of a way to spend an hour out and about on my own.

There was a new local coffee shop that opened up near Hazel's Bakery, might be worth trying out. And with nothing else to compete with, my feet started taking me in that general direction. I wasn't exactly in any rush so I started to pay attention to the other people on the sidewalks.

I watched the way they walked and how they dressed. I looked at if they were travelling alone or in a group. Then I started to come up with their imaginary backstories; _the bald man in a three-piece suit with a wide gait must be a member of the local mafia._ He gave me a weird look when I snickered at him.

I quickened my pace to get away from him faster, just in case.

I still hadn't figured out what to do about Christmas. My dad was pushing for me to get a ticket. It made sense, I haven't seen them in months and it was a family holiday. But for some reason I kept putting it off. Would I really rather spend my Christmas morning with my friends here?

I could imagine all of us in my apartment. Ruff and Tuff would be there and I would definitely invite Fishlegs if he wanted to come. And Hiccup would be there. I wanted to see his face whenever he opened the gift I had yet to find for him.

The new coffee shop was tucked away in between a dry-cleaning business and some engineering firm. It stuck out like a sore thumb though because the outside was painted with a myriad of earthy-browns. There were also little tables surrounded by potted plants. I was still a block away and already I could smell that heavenly bitter coffee smell, a smell that only intensified as I opened the front door.

The place was bustling with all sorts of people; hippies and businessmen happily coexisting. The miracles of coffee. The back wall was one giant chalk board with all the various flavors of coffee artistically displayed. One of the employees must be an artist because they also had mimicked that religious painting in the Sistine chapel. It was the one where God was reaching towards man, although in this rendition he was reaching for a steaming cup of coffee.

"Astrid?" A warm voice said behind me. I turned and was greeted with a bright smile. "What a nice surprise; It's so great to see you! Thank you for all of your help with the Mediterranean bread – it was a huge hit today!"

"That's great to hear!" Hazel was still wearing her bakers' apron and there was a bit of flour in her hair, just like usual. The bags under her eyes were new, though. She looked tired. "I'm surprised to see you so far away from an oven, you practically live in that place."

"It does feel like that recently. Work has picked up a lot." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "On one hand, I'm infinitely grateful that the business is growing. On the other hand, my lovely staff and I are having a really tough trouble keeping up with the sudden influx of demand."

Something nagged from the back of brain. There was something important about what she said, I just needed to figure it out."

How can I help you?" The barista said, shaking me out of my thoughts. _Crap_, I never actually figured out what I was getting. I glanced at the menu and picked the coffee that was the most aesthetically pleasing.

"I'll have the, uh, iced caramel macchiato?" It came out as more of a question, but he just smiled and placed my order. "And I'll also get whatever she wants." I nodded my head to Hazel, who immediately started to protest. "Ignore her protests, she doesn't get a say in the matter."

We took a seat by the window after we got our drinks. I was slowly picking away at a scone I'd ordered as an afterthought. It had become my way of avoiding small talk; I was never any good at it. Besides, it was more awkward than usual since I was sitting at a table with someone that I'd both known for months and yet didn't really know at all.

"Thanks, Astrid." Hazel said after she took a deep sip of whatever caffeine concoction she'd ordered. "It means a lot. I mean, I've always considered you a friend because I see you so often, but at the same time it's always at my bakery. I doubt you even know my last name and here you are buying me coffee. Thank you."

She was absolutely right; I had no idea what her last name was. I glanced at the nametag she'd forgotten to take off. It started with an L. "Is it lemon?"

_Idiot_. Of course that was my answer. I facepalmed as she choked on her drink.

"Not quite," Hazel giggled. "but I like it better than my real name." I decided it was best to not talk anymore and quietly nibbled on my scone hoping my blush would fade soon.

There was still something that was nagging at me. Something that Hazel had said. It was on the tip of my tongue; I could almost taste the answer.

My phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. It was from Fishlegs.

_Just remembered that there is a "Nerd Shop" that has a lot of high-quality gifts. Definitely worth checking out. It's called Demons and Chickens. Near third street, I think._

'Demons and Chickens' was certainly one of the more unique names for a business I'd ever seen. It gave me a ray of hope. A unique business had unique items. I could almost imagine how the place would look. It'd be fashioned after a medieval castle, and all the cashiers would have acne and a lisp. Nerd heaven.

I snapped out of my day dream when I realized Hazel had been speaking for an unknown amount of time.

"Anyways, thanks for the coffee." She concluded and I nodded my head like I had been focused the whole time. "I should get back to work, if you think of anyone that you think would be a great fit, please let me know."

"…Of course. I'll keep my eyes peeled." Absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but there was no way I was going to ask her to repeat herself. It couldn't have been too important. The conversation moved to other topics anyways. We talked about everything from how Hazel manages to wake up so early every morning to make bread to what I did for a living (and what I was hoping to do) to the weather. The more we talked, the more human Hazel became. She was no longer this angelic person I'd made her out to be. She still had the best smile I'd ever seen, but she made mistakes and stumbled with her words and she was amazing. When she spoke about all the types of bread there were, a topic that I was sure would bore me to sleep, I couldn't help but stare.

We walked out of the restaurant together, but this was where we split. I was going right and she was going left. "It was really great getting to know you better, Hazel." I said.

"I had a great time, too!" Hazel beamed and I once again noticed just how tired she looked, "I'll see you around." With that, she surprised me by pulling me into a hug. I froze up for a second before wrapping my arms around her. when we pulled away, she had on one of the biggest smiles I'd ever seen on her. I could feel my smile getting so big that it was threatening to hurt. She waved goodbye and we walked our separate ways.

I wished she would get more sleep. It looked like she was drowning in work. What she needed was someone else in the shop…

I stopped mid-stride. Everything clicked into place; I knew exactly what she had said when I was zoning out. I did an immediate U-turn and ran to Hazel. She was almost back to her bakery when she heard my fleet slapping the pavement.

"Astrid?" Her eyebrows were scrunched in confusion. It was crazy how easy someone could wear themselves out, even if said person goes jogging occasionally.

"My friend Hiccup would be a great asset to your bakery." I said, "I can personally vouch for him. He is a very hard worker and is super kind and reliable. I don't think he knows how to cook, but he can manage the register or supervise or, I don't know, accounting or something." I stopped when I realized I was rambling.

Hazel appeared to be mulling it over in her head. I really hope I didn't blow Hiccup's best shot at getting out of his current job. Hazel was a million times better than his current manager. Plus, employee discount. We could have so much bread. I shook myself out of my selfish desires – that wasn't the point.

"Hmmm…" Hazel was dragging it out on purpose! The little devil. "I'd be happy if he stopped by the shop sometime. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I want to take a look at him myself and ask him a few questions myself, just to be sure."

"Of course!" I gushed, "You won't regret it, I promise. Just let me know when you want him to stop by and he'll be there."

Yes! Hiccup could finally be free of that tyrannical buffoon. I wish I could be there to see the look on his face when not even someone who used to be homeless would work for him. I could almost do a little dance I was so happy to get him out of there.

"Let me go in and look at my schedule to see when I can fit him in." Hazel said, "I'll text you when I get a good time and we'll go from there." I pulled her in for another quick hug before letting her go inside.

That woman really was amazing.

"I'm home!" I opened the door with my hands full of bags. Hiccup jumped up from where he had been laying on the couch to give me a hand.

"I don't know why you yelled; I literally live in the living room area not even fifteen feet away." He reached for some bags and I jerked my left arm away so that he would grab the bags with food in it. Hiccup gave me a curious gaze but didn't say anything.

I quickly excused myself and retreated to my room, where I stashed Hiccup's Christmas gift in a spot that he would never find it. Fishleg's quirky shop had been the jackpot and now I couldn't wait until Christmas day… assuming I was going to be in town. Still hadn't figured that one out, or how to even bring up the possibility of staying here to my parents. I was their only child and had never not been there on Christmas morning.

And Hiccup. They have no idea who Hiccup is. I never told them about him because, well, how do you tell your parents that you took in a stranger because he helped you one night when you were stumbling around the streets drunk? That wasn't exactly something you could just bring up nonchalantly over text.

Alright, I couldn't go to sleep tonight until I had _at least_ brought up the possibility of not going home with my mom (she was the more understanding of the two).

I thought about telling Hiccup right away about the new job I had scored him, but decided to hold it off a while. I would wait until he started to complain about all of the degrading things he was forced to do, like he'd done every day since he got hired, and then spring it on him.

Dinner was quieter than usual; he must've been worked like a slave at work today. I think we were at the table for a solid twenty minutes before he started his rant. Usually, he'd have the patience to wait until we were collapsed on the couch.

"My day sucked." Hiccup said, blowing a lock of hair out of his eyes. It was getting a little long and I made a mental note to ask him later if he wanted to get it cut. "My boss is a total jerk."

"I told you that you need to quit that job." I replied, savoring in my hidden knowledge.

Hiccup groaned in frustration. "We've been over this countless times, Astrid. I won't leave until I have another option – why are you smiling like that?" The grin I'd been trying to hold back must've slipped through my defenses.

"Because I have finally found you another job." Hiccups eye's widened in disbelief, "And I actually know the owner. She is the nicest person to ever walk this Earth; I know you two will get along great!"

"Really? You're not just messing with me?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but I had nothing to hide.

"I'm not messing with you. Her name is Hazel and she would appreciate it if you could stop by her shop in the next day or two." Hiccup tried to hide it, but the relief was evident in his features. He had decompressed slightly and his shoulders stood slightly taller than before. And he was smiling, which of course was also a dead giveaway.

And the more I talked, the more he smiled. The idea of working in a bakery was new to him and Hiccup said that he was intrigued (or he was hoping he would get an employee discount). I gave him Hazel's number so they could iron out the details and retreated back to my room. I still had one more thing to get done tonight.

"Hello?" My mother's soothing voice was just as I remembered it. I could imagine her in my head. After dinner, she would always lay down on the couch in the living room and pulled out whatever book she was reading. She would've changed into her pajama pants for 'maximum comfort'.

"Hey, mom." There was a soft gasp on the other end of the line. Even after all these years, she still didn't look at the caller ID.

"Astrid! It's so good to hear you," she said, "Your dad was starting to worry that we wouldn't see you this Christmas."

"Well…" I took a deep breath, "I was actually calling to see how you guys would feel if I stayed here for Christmas."

"What? Why?" She sounded betrayed; her words were soaked with hurt. "Why wouldn't you come home? Have we been replaced?"

"Wha? – No!" How could she think that? "You guys are my parents! No one could replace you guys. It's just that Ruff and Tuff aren't going back and I've made some new friends recently and we were thinking about hosting our own Christmas get together here. I promise I don't hate you! It's just that I'm finally starting to find this group of friends that I really enjoy being around."

She was silent for a solid minute. I was worried she'd left or something before she finally spoke again.

"…I won't tell you how to live your life, your more than capable of making your own choices." I breathed out with relief, "That being said, I have a few conditions before I'm officially okay with this.

"First off, you're going to facetime us on Christmas morning. Nonnegotiable."

"Done."

"Second, you're going to come home and visit sometime soon – Easter at the latest. The house feels empty without you and both your dad and I miss you."

"Of course!"

"Then I guess I'm alright with you staying there for Christmas." She sighed and I was sure she was also rubbing her forehead. "It's a little late to buy plane tickets anyway; they'd probably cost a small fortune.

"Now, tell me what you've been up to. I want to know you're doing out there in the big bad world." We both laughed lightly and I talked about the two jobs I worked to save up money for Law School.

"I've been studying for the LSAT almost every night." I said proudly. My chest puffed out, which felt really stupid since she couldn't see me.

"That's great!" She exclaimed, "You're so smart, I'm sure you'll ace it." I also told her about my fight with Ruff and that it was thanks to our new friends that we were able to make up. She wasn't too surprised; she'd gotten into many fights with her best friend over the years. She was glad that we had made up.

"Those new friends of yours sound good. Tell me about them."

"Hazel owns the best bakery in town and she is the nicest person I've ever met – besides you, of course." My mom laughed lightly.

"There's no need to apologize. Keep going."

"There's also Hiccup and Fishl – Finnian." It probably wasn't the best idea to tell my mom that I hung out with a dude named Fishlegs. "They knew each other in high school, but lost contact after they graduated. They both happened to move to this city. I met Hiccup, um, walking home from a bar one time. Finnian met Ruff, I'm not really sure how. They're also dating It was surreal to see them be reunited, especially since Ruff and I were still on rocky terms at the time. They helped put our problems in perspective."

"The world can be so small at times." She said, "But what exactly do you mean by 'met him walking home from a bar'? That's not exactly the best time to be making friends, you know." Oh, how I missed motherly protection. I wasn't actually upset, though. She was absolutely right, after all.

"Well, when I say met him, I meant more like I accidentally ran into him. Literally. But he was super nice about everything and he's a really good person and he's not a creep and he's super nice and caring and -"

"Dear." My mom interrupted.

"Yes?"

"You're rambling." I could hear her the amusement in her smile.

"Oh." She chuckled softly.

"It's been lovely talking to you, Astrid, but I've gotta go. There's an apple pie in the oven that I need to check on. I've been smelling cinnamon for five minutes and I can't wait any longer." We said our goodbyes and hung up. All things considered, that went pretty well. I'd pleaded my case, and was allowed to stay in town for the holidays. I'd also introduced Hiccup, although I didn't know why that was so important to me.

Hearing her voice made me homesick, which was definitely more than a little ironic, but my parents were my roots. It was hard to keep pushing off coming back home and I couldn't wait to see them again. I was infinitely thankful that my parents supported me and my decisions. I'd make sure to make it up to them when I saw them in person.

I spent the rest of the night with a cup of peppermint tea and a textbook. The tea made studying ten times more enjoyable. I also had some jams playing softly from my phone.

I had just finished for the night, around midnight, when Hiccup suddenly barged into my room. His face was white and he was breathing so hard I thought his ribcage would break open.

"We need to go the Hospital. Now."

**AN: First off, hi. **

**Now that that's out of the way, I'm gonna respond to Bunyip's review since he was a guest and brought up some really good points.**

**"And a suggestion for your storyline: Maybe bring Heather or Dagur in? Not just mention, have them maje an appearance. That would be god. And maybe add Toothless in as like, a black dog or something?"**

**I'm a little surprised you would rather see Dagur than Snoutlout since he is the only member of the gang that I haven't explicitly put into the story yet. To be honest, I doubt Dagur will be in this story. Heather _might_, I'd never thought about adding her so we'll see. (I wrote my response right when you reviewed so I wouldn't forget to reply to it. Coming back most of the way through the chapter, something occurred to me. As you can tell, I'm slowly bringing her into the story and soon she'll be spending a lot of time with Hiccup… I personally like the name Hazel more than Heather, but if enough people would rather me stick with HTTYD canon characters then I could just go back and change her name.)**

**I thought about adding Toothless into the story, but pretty much every single modern HTTYD fanfic I've ever read has done that. I've kind of strayed away from it, but I'm not ruling it out since there might be a good opportunity to bring him into the story. Idk. Thanks for the review!**

**Alright back to your regularly scheduled AN:**

**I hope the chapter wasn't too boring. I wouldn't call it a filler, but I don't really call anything filler as long as it advances character development and pushes the plot forward. Although to be fair, there isn't a central plot to this story anymore in my eyes. You could say that it became Hiccup's job after Ruff and Astrid made up, but that was largely resolved in this chapter. I've got a few ideas for where to go from here, but if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! **

**I hope everyone had a good Easter if you celebrate it. I didn't even realize it was this weekend until Friday; quarantine has really messed with my internal clock (although I'm not entirely complaining because it gives me a lot of time to practice guitar).**

**Stay safe and I'll see you guys next week!**

**Oh! I also have a Wattpad account (same name) and that is where I post any updates or delays to my schedule. I have a ton of essays to work on over the next two weeks that might need me to push an update back a week. If that happens, I'll say something on my Wattpad and put something on my bio on here. just an FYI.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Post Chapter AN: Sorry to say that school is taking up almost all of my time with a never ending onslaught of essays. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to push the next chapter back a week (May 3rd). Thank you for understanding.**

Hiccup dashed through the front doors of the hospital. The lady at the front desk recognized him and tried to say hello, but he rushed by her without a word. I gave her an apology, but she realized what was happening and told me to follow him. Hiccup had pushed the button for the elevator, and after waiting a total of five seconds, ran to the staircase instead. He bounded up two at a time and I had a hard time keeping up with him.

I couldn't bring myself to ask him to slow down, though. It was his mom after all. He'd been like this ever since he rushed into my room.

I finally caught up to him outside of his mother's door. He was standing completely still.

"What if I walk into that door, and she doesn't open her eyes?" The tone in his voice instantly made me pull him into a tight hug. He'd never looked so utterly vulnerable. Hiccup loved his mom.

"She'll be there." I whispered into his ear. His tears stained my shoulder.

"I.. I can't do it. I can't open that door." He stammered. "Will you do it?" I nodded gently and waited for him to collect himself as best he could. Hiccup took a deep breath and took a step back. He nodded slightly and grabbed my hand. Slowly, I opened the door to Valka's room.

Her skin glowed faintly in the moonlight, like an angel, except her skin was thin. It seemed to cling around her hand. Here eyes were closed, and they didn't open when we walked in, just like Hiccup feared. Her chest was moving up and down slightly, though, and I breathed a sigh in relief. She wasn't… gone.

There was a nurse checking her vitals by her bedside. He looked up when we came in.

"I assume you guys are family?" Hiccup nodded, not taking his eyes off of his mother, "Well, she suffered a mild heart attack at 11:47. Luckily, we were able to reset her heartbeat and she made it through.

"I don't recommend waking her up, as tempting as it might be. We've given her mild sedatives. What she needs now is as much rest as she can get." With that, the nurse gave her condolences and left us be.

Hiccup, still grasping my hand, slowly approached Val.

"She looks so fragile." He said. His hand slid out of mine as he took one of the chairs in the room and brought it close to the bed in the middle of the room. He sat down and gently slid his hand into his mothers. Tears started to slide down his face again.

"It takes a lot of strength to survive a heart attack, especially if she was already in the hospital." I said, taking a seat in the other chair in the room, nearer to the window, "Your mom just needs to rest."

"That's just it. I don't know if she can survive another heart attack, especially with her previous conditions. She may have won this time, but what if there's a next time?"

I didn't know how to respond to that one, so I didn't say anything. I couldn't tell him that she would survive, because that wasn't something I could guarantee. I also couldn't say that she wouldn't survive, for obvious reasons.

I stared out the window instead. I couldn't help but think of my own mother. What if my mother had a heart attack? I was hours away – and I haven't seen her in months! I don't know how I'd live with myself if anything happened to her and I wasn't there.

Hiccup fell asleep with his head on the bed and I could feel myself drifting off as well. It was late. before it was too late, I sent a text to Booker explaining everything to him and asking to use one of my sick days so that I could look after Hiccup and make sure that everyone was okay.

The sunlight danced across my closed eyelids, gently warming my face with its happy rays. Almost instantly the morning haze cleared from my head and I jumped awake. I hissed at the sudden movement; my neck had gotten sore due to the weird angle I had fallen asleep at

Hiccup was already awake, or maybe he never really went to sleep, there were massive bags under his eyes and honestly, he looked awful. His eyes were also laced with trails of red, another sign that at most he was able to sleep a few minutes.

He didn't say anything to me when he I woke up. The silence was a never-ending ocean in between the occasional beeps and whirs from the machines in the room All of his attention was on his mother, laying peacefully in the hospital bed. She looked better than she did when we first got here. still weak, but any improvement was a good sign.

"Have you had anything to eat yet, Hiccup?" My words shattered the suffocating silence like glass. He didn't respond verbally, just a slight nodding of his head indicating that he hadn't. "I know you may not feel like it, but you need to eat something. I can see what they have in the hospital or around the block, if you want."

"please don't leave." Hiccup's words could just be heard over the beeps of the various medical devices around the bed. Suddenly, I couldn't make myself move, not even to pee.

"Would you be alright if I asked Ruffnut to bring us something to eat, then?" Hiccup gave no outward objection, so I sent her a text explaining what had happened. She instantly responded saying that she was on her way.

Hiccup and I sat in the room, silently, waiting for something to change. It was dreadful. The machines told us that she was alive, but until we saw signs of life first hand, I couldn't help but have doubts. What if she continued to breathe, but that was it? What if she never woke up from her slumber?

Hiccup's head shot up from where it had been laying against the bed frame. He was staring at Val's hand. It was twitching! Ever so slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

"Hiccup?" That was as far as she got before her son knocked the breath out of her with a bone crushing hug.

"I was so worried about you, mom." His tears glistened in the sun's morning rays. Val gently stroked Hiccup's head, gently whispering that she was okay over and over again. "You really scared me." Valka apologized and then noticed me, sitting awkwardly in the corner.

"Oh, hi Astrid." She attempted to smooth out her hair to make her seem a little more presentable, but Hiccup had a firm grasp and she had a very limited range of motion. "How embarrassing. I hope that all this fuss with a simple heart attack hasn't caused you any trouble."

"Of course not," I said, "I'm just happy that you're alright. Hiccup and I have been worried sick since the hospital told us what happened. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

"I'm quite alright, thank you. I'm a little worn out, but that's nothing a few more hours of sleep can't remedy." I nodded gently and excused myself to go to the bathroom. I had a feeling they wanted some alone time.

After I'd relieved myself, I spent a few minutes in the hallway. I wasn't sure when a good time to go back in was. I ended up talking to one of the nurses who was on call. I had an enormous amount of respect for her after hearing some of her crazy stories about her time working here.

After she left, I was still trying to figure out the best way to get back in there when the elevator dinged beside me.

"Astrid!" Ruffnut pulled me into a one-armed hug. Her other hand was holding a paper bag that better contain some real breakfast food. "How're things going in there? Is she still breathing?"

"Ruff, don't say that." Fishlegs stepped out of the elevator, glancing down the hallways. "I hope it's alright that I came. I couldn't stay home when Ruff told me what had happened." I thought it over, I didn't want to overwhelm Valka with strangers, although she probably knew Fishlegs since he'd been friends with Hiccup in high school…

"Give me one second." I told them. I walked down the hall and gently knocked on the door before opening it. Hiccup glanced up and I nodded behind me. "Would you mind coming out here for a sec?" He kissed his mother on the forehead and came around the bed.

He gave me an inquisitive glance, before noticing the two people twiddling their thumbs by the elevator. Fishlegs came and pulled Hiccup into a hug that must've broken a couple ribs.

"I heard what happened." Fishlegs said, "I really hope you don't mind me stopping by, I just had to come by and see how she was feeling." Hiccup glanced at the bag in Ruff's hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" He asked and she nodded, pulling out a variety of breakfast tacos. Hiccup's mouth watered and his stomach chose the perfect time to start growling.

"Come on in, we can eat in the room, although I don't think there are enough chairs for everyone." Ruff and Fish both stole a chair from a 'gathering place'.

"Are these all friends of yours?" Valka asked when we came in, "I must be hallucinating, is that you Finnian?"

"You may be in the hospital, but you're not that sick." He said. Val chuckled lightly, only for it to turn into a coughing fit. In an instant Hiccup was by his mother's side, rubbing her back.

"I'm quite alright, Hiccup," She said after she got herself under control, "Now don't be rude. Introduce your other friend to me. I don't believe she's another one of your childhood friends that's magically reappeared."

"This is Ruffnut," He hurried, "She's Astrid's childhood friend and is dating Fishlegs." Val laughed again but it didn't turn into a coughing fit, to everyone's relief.

"Fishlegs!" She smiled broadly, "I'd forgotten about that silly nickname." Val turned to Ruff, who appeared the most awkward out of all of us. she was still carrying the chair she brought in. "It's very nice to meet you, although I wish it could've been under better circumstances."

"Don't worry about that," Ruff reassured her, "I'm just glad that you're still breathing." Ruff slapped her hands over her mouth in shock, and dropped the chair and bag of tacos by accident. The chair banged against the floor and everyone in the room jumped. Hiccup glared at her.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to come out that way! And I didn't mean to drop the chair-"

"It's alright, don't worry about it." Val said calmly, "I'm also glad that I'm still breathing." Ruff sighed in relief.

Ruff picked up the bag of breakfast tacos and passed them around as another way of apologizing. I shoved my hand in there and randomly pulled out a chorizo, egg, and cheese taco. The meat was pretty greasy, but the unique mix of spices made the stomach ache I knew would come worth it. Val took a steak, egg, and cheese and said it was much better than any of the food she'd eaten in months.

Pretty soon, everyone was acting like they'd known each other their whole life, although technically in a lot of ways we did. Hiccup's known his mom since birth (duh), and they've known Fishlegs just about that long. I've known Ruff since I was a little girl. But looking at this group, you couldn't see those lines. You saw one big group. One big family.

Valka didn't deserve to be in the hospital. Hiccup had tried to explain her condition to me one time, but none of it had made much sense to me. I was trying to be a lawyer, not a doctor.

Why did bad things have to happen to good people? Why did I feel like the world was ruled by chaos and not by karma? From what I've seen, she was kind and caring and understanding. It just didn't make sense.

About an hour later, Ruff had to excuse herself. She had work coming up and there were a few errands she wanted to complete before then.

"It was lovely meeting you, Ruffnut." Val said, motioning for Ruff to come closer so that she could be pulled into a hug, "I hope this isn't the last time I see you. You have an excellent sense of dry humor. It's very refreshing." Ruff hugged Val just a little bit tighter.

"I'll be back, don't you worry." She waved goodbye to the rest of us before she headed out the door. Fishlegs stayed for another half hour. He told Hiccup and his mom what he'd been up to since the last time they'd all been together and suddenly I was the odd man out.

I thought about leaving, but decided that it was better to be there to support Hiccup in case he needed anything. besides, I'd already taken the day off of work, it's not like I could just walk in without looking like a complete jerk.

"I'll definitely be back," Fish said when it was his time to leave. He kissed Val's forehead. "It was really good to see you again.

And then it was down to three. Hiccup basically ignored me. I mean, I didn't blame him, I would be doing the exact same thing if the roles were switched. It still made everything awkward, though. For now, I was stuck twiddling my thumbs and occasionally checking my phone for imaginary text messages.

Val looked my way and must've realized what was going through my head. She gently nudged Hiccup. "Why don't you two go grab lunch or something? If you're going to insist on being with me for the day, you should bring something to work on so that the day isn't wasted."

"Oh crap!" Hiccup shot up, "I was supposed to meet Hazel for lunch today!"

"Hazel?" Val asked, "Does someone have a girlfriend that they're not telling me about?" she waggled her eyes suggestively

"What? No," Hiccup was wringing his hands through his hair, "She's one of Astrid's friends that's hiring now. I was supposed to meet her half an hour ago for an interview."

"Don't worry, Hiccup," I grabbed his hands to stop his nervous pacing, "Hazel is a very nice person; I am positive that she will understand and be more than willing to reschedule."

"But her first impression of me will be a person who is tardy and unreliable"

"Hiccup!" I snapped, "Your mother, who is already in the hospital, had a heart attack. Hazel will understand. I bet she'll even look up to you for being a family man with a good set of moral values." I brought my hands from his up to his shoulders and made him look me in the eyes. "Now breathe.

"In…"

We took a deep breath in together.

"Out…"

We let the air out of our lungs, and with it went his stress.

"Better?" I asked and he nodded.

"Much better, thank you." Hiccup excused himself so that he could go out into the hallway to call Hazel. Val was staring at me strangely. I didn't think too much about it, though, because even though I was sure Hazel would understand, I was getting anxious the longer he was in the hallway. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. Hiccup sent me a text asking if I could meet him outside.

"I'll be right back," I told Valka. Hiccup was leaning against the water fountain when I walked out the door. He wasn't having another panic attack so it couldn't've (yes, double contractions exist) been too bad. "What did she say?"

"She forgave me instantly, just like you said she would," Hiccup said and I smiled for him.

"That's great!"

"I have a favor to ask of you." He came closer, like he was telling me some great big secret. "Will you stay with Val for me?

"I know that it may be awkward since she's not your mom and all that, but I wanted to meet up with Hazel as soon as possible to make up for earlier but I don't think that I can leave her unless you're their because I know you'll look out for her and keep her comfortable. You can go home and bring some books back to study with like Val suggested so that you're not completely wasting your time." I think Hiccup only stopped trying to convince me because he had run out of air. He took a deep breath so I cut him off before he could get the train rolling again.

"I can do that, no problem." Hiccup pulled me into a hug and my cheeks reddened ever so slightly for no reason.

"Thank you," He said into my shoulder, "It really means the world to me."

We went back into Val's room and Hiccup told her what the plan was. He was on his way to Hazel's bakery and I was going to get some study materials and then keep her company. She tried to protest that she didn't need a babysitter, but after Hiccup started pleading to let me stay, she conceded that maybe it would be nice to have someone around who wasn't going to stick a needle in her.

I walked home, grabbed some supplies, and grabbed some lunch for Val and I. I decided to stick with the Mexican theme by getting quesadillas. I was able to snag a portable desk from the hallway so that I could have my textbook and my notebook out at the same time. It made it much easier to copy things I thought were important.

After a quick lunch, I put my hair back in a loose bun and got down to business.

Val asked a few questions about what I was reading here and there in the beginning. She wondered what someone studying for the LSAT would actually study and how I was going about learning everything I needed to learn. It was nice. I could tell that she was genuinely curious and not talking for the soul purpose of talking. Soon, she fell back asleep and I was able to chunk through parts of the textbook, giving updates to Hiccup every once in a while so that he wouldn't worry. I also sent one or two updates to Ruff and Fishlegs, which they appreciated.

Val woke up from her slumber maybe an hour or two later? I hadn't been keeping track of the time. I needed a break, so I started asking Val about what Hiccup was like as a child.

"He was the cutest baby," She said, "and I know most parents think that about their children, but he really was. He was a lot chunkier when he was an infant.

"As you can probably tell, he didn't stay fat long," She said. I laughed at the idea of Hiccup not being a walking toothpick his whole life. Hiccup and his mom had one of the best mother-child relationships I'd ever seen. I don't think they were even capable of being mad at each other.

Val got quite after that and, before I knew it, it was time to go. Hiccup had gotten the job (Yes!) and Hazel had been showing him the ropes so that he could start as soon as he officially quit his other job. He told me to meet him at a sandwich shop a few blocks away, his way of showing thanks for spending time with his mother.

"Before you go, I wanted to thank you for everything you've done," Val said and I stopped packing my things, "I'd always been afraid of leaving Hiccup here all alone. It's kept me fighting.

"I am so glad that he's made a friend as good and kind as you are. You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"Thank you, Astrid." She said, bringing in me in for a tight hug. I told her that it was really no problem. It didn't occur to me until much later down the road that she could've been referring to something else.

**AN: I was supposed to finish the chapter right after supper, but I kind of fell asleep for three hours. No worries, though, because I was able to get it finished tonight and here it is!**

**Val lives to see another day, phew. Even I was getting worried – and I was the one writing it! If any of the details regarding the hospital are inaccurate, I apologize. I really have no idea what they'd do if someone had a heart attack.**

**Also, in case you haven't noticed, I try and reply to all of the reviews that bring up interesting points that I feel need to be answered (although, if you have an account, I'll usually just pm you so I don't bog up the AN). These next few quotes are all from my man, Bunyip:**

**_"maybe Astrid and Hiccup can put the TV on to watch something and they see the How to Train for Dragon movie? I don't know why l thought of it, it just popped into my head. But it probably wouldn't lead the storyline anywhere."_**

**It'd be breaking the fourth wall, which is super cool when handled correctly. Who knows, I may add it in as an Easter egg somewhere down the line.**

**_"Also, l'm typing a Httyd fanfic called Dragons of the Sea Stacks (set during Race to the Edge). I may decide to get an account here so look out for me! But it's probably unlikely l will decide to share my fanfic - l'm not sure if it's any good..."_**

**I definitely recommend putting your work out there! It's a great way to get feedback, and who knows, you might even enjoy yourself. **

**"P.S. Um, Bunyip is my pet lobster's name by the way in case you think it's mine...lol"**

**First off, that is by far the coolest thing I've ever read. A pet lobster?! That's amazing! And I didn't really think it was your real name, I knew Bunyip was some kind of water spirit thing, which makes it an amazing name for a pet lobster! Seriously man, that's super rad.**

**Alright, the next review is from Rex Vong Thrawn:**

**_"Hey Man will Vigo and Ryker be in this story along with a couple of other characters from the HTTYD franchise like camicaz, Eret, Mala, Atali, and Alvin and others if possible"_**

**So, I personally like to treat this story like it's an original work. It's part of the reason I'm keeping Hazel as Hazel and not changing her to Heather (Although technically Hazel isn't exactly an OC. She's actually a reference to a different fandom even though I said her skin was olive and not black). Another problem with adding a ton of characters is that I like make sure every character has their own arc. If I kept adding people, then it would start to take away from the focus of the story, Astrid and Hiccup. Also, to be honest, I'm not sure who Camicaz, Mala, or Atali are. I've only seen the movies and a few episodes of Dragons: Defenders of Berk (The one where Hiccup makes the shield and Stoic rides the thunderdrum dragon). So, in short, I don't think adding that many characters is a good idea because I don't think I'm good enough to do it without taking away from the main focus. That being said, I may try and slip one or two in somewhere as minor characters. We'll see. Thanks for the review!**

**A big thanks to everyone who is reading this story! You guys are all amazing. **

**I'll see y'all next week!**

**(assuming the multiple essays all my classes are giving me don't kill me)**

**I'm adding this is specifically to answer Bunyip's recent questions about creating an account and I can't PM him so I gotta go public. I don't know if the people who follow this story will be notified that i'm updating this chapter so I'm sorry if anyone was expecting a new chapter (that's coming Sunday).**

**Glad to see you got an account! To edit your bio, click on your name in the top-right hand corner. then go to Account-Profile and that is where you can add stuff to your bio. Adding stories is a little more complicated. They kind of go over it under Publish - About, but you also need to go to Publish - Rules & Guidelines. You can read it and then scroll to the bottom to accept the terms. you'll need to accept the terms before you can publish a fanfic. It also expires every seven days so you'll need to go back an accept them again if you want to publish a new story (you don't need to re-accept to update a story). Doc manager is where is basically a storage facility. You put your chapters in there and then go under New Story (or Manage Stories if you want to add a chapter to an already existing fanfic) and go through the process of setting your fanfic up.**

**Hope that helped! **


	13. Chapter 13

"_What?"_ Hiccup squirmed at his dumbfounded expression. He hated confrontations. Luckily for him, I had volunteered to tag along and show my support.

"I said that I'm quitting." His voice faltered at the end and the manager squinted his eyes.

"But we need you. We're understaffed and you're a valuable employee." He crossed his arms, "You can't quit."

"Well…" Hiccup trailed off and I could tell he was getting uncomfortable. I couldn't let him cave; it was time to step in.

"_Valuable?_" I laughed darkly, "You've been nothing but awful too him since the moment he was hired; it's no wonder that you're always understaffed."

"And who do you think you are? This is a private conversation. You'd best see your way out of here before things get ugly." The manager's glare could melt led, but it didn't phase me in the slightest.

I scoffed at him, "Are you threatening me? Do you want a lawsuit on your hands?" His eyes went wide and I smiled as he visibly backed away from me. "That's better. Now listen carefully to the words that are coming out of my mouth:

"Hiccup. Is. Quitting."

"He never handed in a letter of resignation." The nerve of that man! I couldn't believe that he was still trying to bully Hiccup into working for at least a few more days.

"Too bad. You lost any power you've ever had any of him." I grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the exit.

"Good luck finding him a job then!" The manager called out. "No one will hire him after I tell them what happened here! I'll blacklist him! Come back he-"

Hiccup and I ignored him and let the doors close behind us, cutting off his rant. As soon as we were around the corner, I jumped with joy.

"That was amazing! You're finally free!" Hiccup didn't look free. He had one hand on the wall and was slouched over, shaking slightly.

"I think I'm gonna puke." Was all he got out before, you guessed it, he puked. It wasn't a lot, thankfully, because we hadn't had breakfast yet. Even so, there was a few chunks on the side of the building.

Pretty disgusting.

Even so, I rubbed his back in soothing circles while he recovered. I could tell that he was super embarrassed, especially with all the weird looks people were giving us when they walked by. Some guy snarkily muttered about how bad someone's life had to be to be drunk so early in the day. I ignored him because I knew it would only embarrass him more if I went and gave him a piece of my mind. I'd already tackled one bully today and had no problem taking down one more.

"How were you so brave?" Hiccup asked, "I mean, you where a total badass, and I was just standing there like a total loser." He was waving his arms back and forth between us wildly, as if it was obvious that he was inferior to me; which he wasn't.

"Hiccup," I grabbed his shoulders and his head drooped so that he wouldn't have to look me in the eyes, "You are not a loser. It takes a lot of guts to even think about quitting in that environment. You stood you're ground and I'm proud of you."

Hiccup gingerly looked up at me. "Really?" His words were raw and tender and it was hard to hear him be so hard on himself.

"Of course! I mean you even puked on his building. That's wild!" Hiccup did a double take at the wall.

"Oh no… I didn't even realize." I laughed at the look of horror on his face and slung my arm around his shoulder.

"Come on, Champ. Let's go get some ice cream to celebrate your liberation from that tyrant." Ice cream was the ultimate mood-fixer. One bite of rocky road and he was almost instantly in a better mood.

"I still don't get how you were able to stand up to him like that," Hiccup waved his spoon at me before taking another bite, "I mean, he was more intimidating than my old P.E. teachers but you weren't phased at all."

Honestly, the manager hadn't seemed scary to me at all. When it came to Hiccup's well-being, there weren't too many hurdles I wouldn't jump. "I'm just too stubborn to back down, I guess."

(Line Break)

Work was pretty boring today. Not too much business and I spent most of my time watching the minutes tick by on the clock. I'd gotten sidetracked on my way home stopping by the local library to pick up another LSAT prep book. It felt like I was both studying too much and not enough at the same time. I signed up for a test that was about two weeks away and every time I thought about it I either wanted to pull my hair out or jump for joy because I was finally stopping treading water and getting out of the rut I had fallen into.

I was about a block away from the apartment when my phone started ringing. It wasn't too out of the ordinary that my dad would call me, but I was a little apprehensive since he hadn't said anything to me since I'd told my mom that I wasn't coming home for Christmas.

"Hello?" I asked cautiously.

"So apparently your family isn't worth a plane ticket for Christmas?" His words ripped right through me. I immediately tried to tell him that that wasn't the case at all, but he wasn't hearing it. "You'd really abandon your mom and dad for two family holidays in a row? Do you have any idea how that makes us feel? Or do you only think about yourself?"

"Dad… please." I pleaded, "That's not the case at all."

"Is that so?" He sneered, "Then pray tell, what exactly is the case? What _exactly _am I misunderstanding?"

"I've finally gotten into a good group of friends and no one else is going home-"

"And that's reason for you not to?" He cut in, "Are you 'too cool' to see your parents now?"

"No!" I could feel the stares of the people around me as I was about to burst into tears. "That's not it at all, Ruff actually encouraged me to go home."

I knew that was the wrong thing to say the second the words came out of my mouth. He was silent for a long time and I knew I'd messed up bad. When he finally did speak again, his words were barely above a whisper.

"Well, I'm glad to know how little you think of us. I hope your friends are able to help you the next time you're in trouble." I tried to say more, but the click of him hanging up stopped me cold.

I couldn't believe what happened. I'd tried to explain things, but I'd only managed to make things worse. Mom hadn't seemed upset; was that a façade? Did she go right to her husband the second we'd hung up and twisted my words? The last thing I wanted to do was upset them, why couldn't they see that? Maybe I'd made a mistake by staying here, but it was too late to fix that now. The damage had already been done and I doubted that there was a single plane ticket left available on any of the flights back home.

I wanted to run home to be comforted by Hiccup, and just thinking that made me feel even guiltier. That was exactly what my parents were talking about! But I wasn't trying to replace them – I wasn't.

I couldn't stand the warzone in my head and there was only one person that I could think of that I was sure could help me. Hopefully Hiccup was home. I kept my arms around my chest all the way back to the apartment.

I opened the door and there was Hiccup… with something spread across the table. It took me a second, but my heart stopped as soon as I realized what it was. No no no no no…

"Why didn't you tell me you were a nerd?" Hiccup's voice was much happier and energetic than usual. Of course he would be considering what was in front of him. "This D&D set is amazing – and look at these dice! They're super high quality; definitely a custom set. It doesn't even look like they'd been opened."

"Where did you find that?" I whispered; eyes wide. This couldn't be happening. Hiccup didn't catch the tone in my words as he continued to unknowingly admire his Christmas gifts.

"Well, my phone charger broke and ours takes the same plug and I figured that you wouldn't mind if I borrowed yours. So, I was looking around your bed and Bam! This was underneath your bed! To think that all this time we could've been playin…" Hiccup finally glanced at me and noticed how pale my face had become. "What's wrong?"

"It isn't mine." Tears pricked my eyes. "That… That was your Christmas gift."

"Oh." Hiccup's eyes went wide before widening even further in disbelief. "Wait, that can't be true. This couldn't have been cheap and you barely know me and there's no way you would get this for me." I let my back hit the door and slowly slid down until my arms were wrapped around my knees.

"Oh my," Hiccup jumped up and wrapped me in a hug, "I'm so, so sorry Astrid. I had no idea." I felt like banging my head against a wall. I couldn't believe I hadn't hidden it better. I couldn't believe I'd been so careless.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"I'm so sorry, Astrid," Hiccup repeated. I couldn't even look him in the eye. "It never occurred to me that you would get something like that for me."

"I just wanted to get you something that you would actually enjoy." I was trying to form coherent sentences, but the constant heaving and sniffling made it difficult. "I spent days looking for the perfect gift to get you.

"And what do I do? I shove it under the bed where you find it."

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Astrid, none of this is your fault. Don't think that for one second." Hiccup said, "I'm beyond grateful that you went through all that effort just for me. I shouldn't have been in your room without your permission anyways."

The last sentence reminded me of an old memory with my father and the dams burst completely. Before either of us knew it, I was a sobbing mess on the floor. Hiccup rubbed my back, and it helped, but it also made it worse. I couldn't stand this duality.

And just as I was managing to get myself under control, Hiccup cocked his head slightly to the left, "Wait a minute. Why are you still here? shouldn't you be on a flight back home soon? I completely forgot how soon Christmas is. You are spending with your family, right?"

Oh. Right. I never told him about any of that. "Actually, I'm, uh, staying here for the holidays."

Silence.

"What? Why? I figured you'd be on the first flight back." Hiccup seemed genuinely confused, and I could see why. He loved his mother more than anyone else in the world. And that wasn't to say that I didn't love my family, because I did. I loved them a lot. So, truth be told, I couldn't think of a reason that would convince him that it wasn't me being stupid. I'd decided to stay here because it just felt like the right thing to do. It was more of a gut feeling than anything I could explain. If I could go back in time and change anything, even with all of what was happening with my family, part of me would still try and stay here for Christmas. It was something I'd thought about for days, but the more thought about, the farther the answer seemed to be.

"I don't know…" Que the tears, "I don't know why. It just felt right staying here with you guys and I thought my mom was okay with it but then my dad called me today and he said I was abandoning my family and I tried to tell him that I didn't mean it that way but he hung up on me and my family hates me but I still want to stay here and I'm so angry at myself for wanting to stay and-" I took in a heaving breath, "I'm a total screw up."

I started banging my head back against the door.

"Ow!" Hiccup, in an effort to stop me, put his in between me and the door. He hadn't anticipated just how hard I was punishing myself and quickly withdrew his hand. I gasped grabbed his hand to take a look at it. I didn't know my own strength, though, and squeezed it too forcibly and he cried out again.

"I'm so sorry!" I was such a failure! I jumped up and locked myself in my room before I could mess up even more.

Hiccup ran after me, but I couldn't hear him because of all the words screaming themselves at me in my head. I hurt everyone that cares for me. My mother. My father. Hiccup.

Ruff.

Everyone.

"How could anyone stand to be friends with me? All I've ever done is hurt people."

"_What?"_ I hadn't even realized I'd said that last part out loud. "Astrid, you can't be serious. You are an amazing friend."

"I'm a monster, that's what I am."

"Astrid," Hiccup pleaded, "You are not a monster. You are super kind and thoughtful, and honestly kind of a badass. I mean look at how you put my ex-manager in his place today! That was the best thing I've seen all month."

I didn't respond, but a small smile might've sneaked it's way on my face. my phone buzzed; a text from my mom

_I'm so sorry about your father. I had no idea he'd blow up like he did. I'll talk to him again tonight. We still love you very much and I hope it hasn't ruined your Christmas mood._

I almost cried again, but I was able to keep it inside. That was exactly what I needed to hear, from both of them. I reached up with one hand and there was a faint click as I unlocked my door.

I got up slowly but Hiccup was there waiting for me when the door opened.

"How about dinner?" He asked.

He cleared the table while I whipped something up – and by that, I mean I made two bowls of ramen with a side of iced water. Fancy, I know.

Hiccup tried to keep the conversation by talking about his first day working under Hazel. He'd only worked there in the evening, but I could tell he was excited to talk about it.

"How was it?" I asked him. "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"It was surprisingly… fun?" It came out as more of a question, like he wasn't sure that work could be described that way. "I don't know how to describe it, to be honest. I never imagined myself working at a bakery, but I definitely prefer it over the old place.

"And Hazel is amazing! She's so nice and empathetic. She treats me like a human and not just a piece of meat. Everyone there is so nice. It's incredible."

I beamed. This was exactly what I hoped would happen.

"That's amazing, Hiccup! I knew you would love it there." I got up and gave him a hug. It was something we'd been doing more and more lately. Touching just to touch, but as friends. I pulled away slightly so that I could look him in the eye to ask a very important question.

"Did you bring any bread home?"

Hiccup's laugh was like sparkling water (or sprite if you're American), crisp and refreshing. He pulled out a loaf from the paper bag that had been sitting inconspicuously on the counter.

Dinner finished without any emotional break downs and soon I was watching TV with Hiccup on the couch. It was something about dragons; I wasn't really too interested in it. I was more focused on my phone, texting Ruff about potential Christmas plans. It was decided that Hiccup and I should host it since they hosted the last get together, although calling _that_ a 'get-together' was a bit of a stretch. That meant Hiccup and I needed a tree to put the gifts under.

"Hey Hiccup, are you alright with getting a plastic tree for Christmas?"

"What? No." Hiccup looked at me accusingly, "I'd rather not have any Christmas lights on my amazing real tree than have a fake one with all the colors of the rainbow that shoots little fireworks."

"But they leave so many dead pine needles everywhere and it'll be a pain to bring it." I said, "Besides, it's three days before Christmas Eve. If you wanted a tree so bad, you should've said something by now. I doubt there are any left."

"It's not my fault I forgot; these last few weeks have just been so crazy. I never realized just how close it was until Christmas until…" He let the sentence die out, but I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Yeah, that." I coughed awkwardly and decided to change the subject. "Since we'll all be here for the holidays, it was decided that we're hosting for Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs." He looked like he was about to object, but it died in his throat.

"You didn't think to tell me about any of your plans?" Was what he decided was the best course of action. I wondered what his first reaction was; there was something about it that he didn't agree with. Something he wasn't telling me.

"Did you have any other plans for Christmas?" Once again, he hesitated before answering.

"No, I just would have liked to not be left out of the loop." He had a fair point; it was a little stupid of me not to tell him anything until Ruff and I had finalized everything.

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that. I'm not even sure why I've never brought it up before." Hiccup was silent for a few moments so I decided to bring up something that had been on the back of my mind for a while. "What do you think about me inviting Hazel to our Christmas Party? I'm sure she already has plans, but just in case I think she would be a lot of fun to have over."

Hiccup sulked for a little bit longer before a small smile lit up his face. "I think that would be a fantastic idea. I mean don't get me wrong, inviting your boss to a friendly Christmas party is weird in most cases, but Hazel is different." Even though I 100% agreed with him, something about the way he said it didn't settle right with me.

"Plus, I'm sure she would make some amazing pastries." Our stomachs both growled and we laughed.

**AN: Quick disclaimer, I wrote a very large chunk of this entire chapter in the last two days, and I also wrote all over the place. I wrote the ending like a week and a half ago and then the stuff before it was written very sporadically. I just kind of went and added whole scenes where I thought they would fit. I'm not exactly sure how much sense the chapter makes, but I said I would update today, and I'm a man of my word. **

**Alright, with that out of the way, thanks for being so patient! I also wanted to say that it constantly blows me away that since this story started, at least one person has viewed it. Keeping that streak going is a huge motivator for me to try and write chapters that keep you guys coming back. **

**What'd you think of the chapter? I make sure to try and respond to anyone that has an account and if you're a guest, there's a chance I'll answer a question you have in the next chapter's AN. **

**Hope you guys have an amazing week and I'll see you guys next Sunday!**

**p.s. I never realized that my linebreak things weren't transferring over, I'm so sorry! I'll experiment to see how to fix it. For now, I'll just use the standard (Line Break)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Merry Christmas!" Ruff said, pulling me into a hug. I was grateful for every interaction I had with Ruff now and this was no exception. You really didn't know what you had until you lost it; I was just lucky enough to be given a second chance.

"Merry Christmas to you too." I said cheerfully, "Come on in." Ruff and Tuff were wearing matching ugly Christmas sweaters that their parents had sent them as a gag joke. I hadn't heard anything from my dad since that last phone call, but at least my mother didn't hate me. I had been really hoping he'd call me last night, as sort of an early Christmas gift. But no, reality never goes the way you hope it would.

"You good there?" Ruff asked with furrowed brows.

"Yeah," I dismissed, "Just a little tired, that's all." She dropped the subject but I could feel her eyes where still on me when I turned my back to talk to her brother. I hadn't told her about my family problems yet; I didn't want to ruin the Christmas mood, especially on Christmas Day. I'd promised myself I would talk to her about it tomorrow so that she could give some advice and not feel replaced by Hiccup.

Fishlegs showed up about ten minutes later; something about having to finish some project or something. He brought a rectangular present that was about the length of my arm and about half as tall.

"Wow, that's one massive gift. It better be for me." Fishlegs laughed a littly awkwardly.

"It's actually mainly for Hiccup," He said and Hiccup's eyes bugged out, "But if all goes according to plan, everyone should be able to use it."

"Oh well," I sighed, "Put it with the others under the tree and we'll open after Breakfast." Yes, I caved and Hiccup and I got a real tree. Yes, there couldn't have been more than ten trees in the entire lot. And yes, Hiccup took an entire hour before _finally_ deciding on the perfect tree. I still couldn't believe I caved.

Hiccup and I were making omelets when there was another knock at the door. Ruff yelled that she would get it, even though we could've heard her if she whispered it; it was an apartment not a mansion.

"You must be Hazel." I heard her say and I immediately dropped what I was doing to go say hi. Hazel was wearing blue jeans, a red and green pullover, and her warmest smile. She'd been ecstatic when I'd invited her over for this get together; her parents lived overseas and she couldn't afford to go home for the holidays.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" I pulled her into a hug, "It's so weird seeing you without an apron on."

"I almost left the bakery this morning with it on, actually," Hazel said before reaching into a little stuffsack that she'd brought with her and taking out tiny little presents. "I realize it's early in the morning, but I made you all miniature apple-pies."

Before I could even register what had happened, Tuffnut had swooped in, taken a pie, and shoved it down his throat.

"Oh wow," He said with his mouth full of food, "These are amazing!" Little chunks of crust flew everywhere as he spoke.

"You'll have to excuse my pig of a brother," Ruff said, smacking his brother upside the head before taking her own pie present.

"As my twin, that also makes you a pig," Tuff grumbled, rubbing his head.

Ruff smacked him again.

It was funny and a classic interaction between the twins, but something felt off. Just slightly. It wasn't Ruff or Tuff, though. It wasn't Hazel, either. she wasn't what felt off.

I glanced over into the kitchen, where Hiccup and Fishlegs where almost finished making breakfast for everyone. Fishlegs must've said something funny because Hiccup smiled, but it was off. it didn't quite reach his eyes. Something was on his shoulders, something he was trying to hide from the rest of us.

After breakfast was ready and everyone had sat down to eat, I pulled Hiccup into my room. He'd given me a curious look, but didn't resist

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" I asked, "I can feel that something's off with you." Hiccup narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What do you mean, 'something's off with me'?" He snarked defensively, "I'm just trying to enjoy the day."

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way; I'm not trying to accuse you of anything." Hiccup's face softened slightly and he sighed.

"I know you didn't mean it that way."

"Then what's wrong, Hiccup? Did I do something?" I watched Hiccup very closely. He hesitated very slightly before saying that it wasn't me, which meant that it was me.

He excused himself, saying that he should go make sure that everyone was getting along well. something about being a good host.

Liar.

What could be upsetting him this much? He's always come to me if something hadn't sat well with him before. looking back, he's been off ever since I first told him about this party. He couldn't hate Ruff or Tuff, could he?

No, I shook my head, that wasn't it.

Was it that we were the one's hosting? No, that wasn't it either. He'd said that he hadn't had other plans? Since he'd moved in with me, I'd never seen him hang out with anyone besides Fishlegs and his…

Oh.

_Oh._

My eyes opened wider than they've ever opened before when everything clicked into place. Of course! Of course, Hiccup would be upset by that. He should've said something! I couldn't believe how ignorant I had been.

I slammed the door open. "Everyone finish your meals and then grab a present, we're leaving." They all looked at me like I'd grown a second head, but I knew I was doing the right thing.

"What?" Ruff looked like she was sure she'd misheard what I'd said, even though every syllable had been meticulously placed so that my intentions were crystal.

"I made a big mistake having the Christmas party here," I said, looking Hiccup directly in the eyes, "Someone's not here and they need to be. Now hurry up and eat."

(Line Break)

The hospital was dishearteningly empty today. it seemed as though everyone wanted to be at home with their family, even if one of them couldn't make it.

Val was staring longingly out the window when I opened the door.

"Merry Christmas!" I yelled cheerily, startling her.

"Oh my," She said as we piled all of the presents, including the one Hiccup opened up early by accident, in one of the corners, "Hiccup said that the get together was going to be at your guys' apartment."

"It was, but I realized that if we did that then someone very important would be missing the festivities, and no one should be alone on today of all days."

Val seemed unsure whether to feel awkward about being the reason everyone was spending Christmas in a hospital, or whether to be grateful that everyone was willing to come just to spend it with her. She decided on the latter and pulled me into a hug that felt weaker than the last time I had stopped by. Taking another look at Val, she looked like she had lost some weight and her skin looked even frailer.

I didn't bring any of that up, though. Instead I watched as Ruff and Tuff fought over the last chair as Hazel was quietly standing by the door.

"Val, this is Hazel. She's a good friend of mine and is actually Hiccup's new boss."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Val said, waving her over, "I'm so glad that you were able to allow Hiccup to leave that terrible job he had before." Hazel looked at me questioningly and I shook my head slightly, mouthing _later._ I didn't want to sour the day by bringing all that stuff up.

It looked like Tuff had won the chair, but he immediately got up and offered it to Hazel when she looked for somewhere to sit. It didn't matter, though, because within five minutes everyone was sitting on the floor anyways opening gifts. Well, everyone except Valka because, well, you know, she wasn't exactly a beacon of health at the moment. No offense to her, but she looked like she could blow away if someone blew on her too hard.

It was a good thing there weren't fans in hospital rooms.

Ruff, Tuff, and I were comparing the socks we got each other this year and judging he got the coolest pair.

"You've really outdone yourself this year, Tuff." I said, holding up socks that had little Godzilla's wearing swimsuits and sunglasses, "These are definitely the coolest pair so far."

"Too bad this pair just blew the socks off the other ones," Ruff said, holding up a pair of socks with green dragons spewing fire everywhere. "And yes, pun totally intended." She added before any of us could ask.

Hiccup reopened his gift from me and pretended to act as surprised as he did the first time he opened it. He and Fishlegs drooled over the custom dice and dice box. Admittedly, those were a little bit more expensive than I had hoped they would be, but it was well worth it to see the smile on his face.

Fishleg's gift to Hiccup was a big customizable Dungeons and Dragons table set. It had moveable walls and you could have stairs leading to a second story. You could change almost everything about it so that Hiccup could set it up to fit whatever world he was trying to create.

Hiccup was speechless. It must've cost Fishlegs an arm and a leg to get.

As promised, I facetimed my parents soon after so that they could meet my friends. They were both decked up in the _ugliest_ Christmas sweaters I've ever seen and I was positive they only did it to embarrass me. It was a little strange to see my father with a smile on his face, considering that he was far from happy the last time I'd talked to him.

"Merry Christ…mas?" My mom's enthusiastic shout slowed down and ended as more of a question, "Are you guys in the hospital?"

"We are, actually," I said, swiveling the camera so that they could see Val, who was certifiably embarrassed to be introduced to my parents while she was in a hospital gown. "This is Hiccup's mother, Valka. She couldn't leave the hospital for the festivities so we brought the festivities to her."

"How swee-"

"Hey Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson!" Ruff grabbed the phone so that she could see my mom and wave, "It's great to see you again."

"It's good to see you too. How has life been treating you?"

"Every day is a challenge not to strangle my brother, but I'm surviving." My mom laughed as Ruff handed the phone back to me.

"Now, which one of these lovely young gentlemen is Hiccup?" I turned the camera towards him and he also gave a friendly wave. "It's nice to meet you. Astrid's told me about you. How are you doing?"

"Things were rough for a while, but things are much better know," Hiccup said cheerily, "I've gotten a brand new job that pays more so I'm able to help Astrid out with rent better."

My eyes widened and I immediately waved my hand in front of my throat so that he would shut up. My mom coughed in surprise and my father looked like his suspicions had been confirmed.

"So you two are living together!" He yelled so loud I'm pretty sure that anyone in the hallway could hear what was about to come out of his mouth, "It all makes sense now - no reason my ungrateful daughter didn't want to come back home – she was too busy sleeping with some bum! I can't believe my own daughter is a whore!"

I ended the phone call, but the damage was done. I couldn't even look any of them in the eye as I bolted out of the room. I wanted to go somewhere where no one would ever find me again; that was the most embarrassed I'd ever been in my entire life.

I turned corner after corner before finding myself in an empty hospital room. My mom sent a text saying that I wasn't what my dad had said in anger and that he immediately regretted saying it. I didn't respond. If it was just in front of me, I could've handled it. But that was in front of every. single. friend. I had in this town. How could I face any of them after this?

How could I explain to them that my dad wasn't a bad person? He'd always done his best to look out for me in his own way; it just didn't work out this time.

Why was I trying to rationalize what he did? It was wrong and hurtful and mean and cruel and wrong. He has no idea what the circumstances where that led to us living together.

Granted, I had multiple opportunities to tell them myself; like when it first happened. He wouldn't've been nearly as upset if I had told him that I was taking someone off the streets that had helped me a few days ago so that they wouldn't freeze to death. But instead all he knows is that I skipped coming home for Christmas and that some boy my age has been sleeping in my apartment.

I heard someone's footsteps echo down the hall as they looked for someone. I huddled in the corner of my room, half hoping they would find me and tell me that everything was alright. The other half was hoping they'd never find me and I stayed absolutely still.

The footsteps passed and I sighed in guilty relief. I didn't want to blow off my friends, but they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand anything.

My phone started getting barraged by texts from Ruff and Hiccup. They said that none of them cared what happened, not even Hazel.

Hazel.

God, I was so embarrassed. How could I face her now?

How could I not? It's not like I could hide in this room forever.

The whole situation was a catch 22. If I went back, I would feel embarrassed about causing a scene. What would they think of me? I literally ran away from my problems. And then I would have to face their reactions to my father. He sure knows how to make one hell of a first impression.

On the other hand, if I stayed, it would be all the more embarrassing that I had hid in a hospital rather than face them. I would still have to face them eventually. I would only get temporary relief and make the situation worse. Neither option was good.

My phone was vibrating again and this time Hiccup's name was displayed brightly on the screen.

I let it go to voicemail.

But I got up and walked to the door. The hallway was empty. I couldn't live in shame of one moment, no matter how embarrassing; I had to rise above it and accept that it had happened. No amount of wishing would undo the past.

Val was the only one in the room when I returned. I realized in horror that the others must all be out combing the hospital for me. I ruined Christmas.

"No you didn't, dear," Val said. I hadn't even realized I'd said that last part out loud. "If anything, it should make your Christmas even better?"

"How?" I sat down in the chair next to her and put my head in my hands. "My own father called me a whore and said that I didn't go home because I'm sleeping with your son – which I'm not.

"I mean I'm not sleeping with your son, not that he wasn't the reason I didn't go home – not that he was the reason either." Now would be the perfect time to just turn into dust, but Val laughed. How she found amusement in this situation beat me.

"Don't worry, I know that you and him aren't 'a thing' as the younger generations call it. But look at what your friends are doing right now. they're looking for you. They didn't laugh about the situation, or make fun of you. All they cared about was making sure you were okay. And if that isn't true friendship than I don't know what is.

"Look, I'll be honest with you," Val said, grabbing my hand, "I've lived for a decent amount of time and have experience so much throughout my lifetime, but I can't think of a time when I had a group of friends that cared for each other this much.

"I mean, I'm in a hospital. I've been here for over two years. No one but my son and the nurses have visited in the last year – until you and the others, of course. You guys truly have something special that I never had. I'm so glad that you are Hiccups friend. Every mother worries what will happen to their son after they are gone, but today you gave me the best Christmas gift I could've ever asked for, and for that I will forever be grateful."

I wiped the tears from my face and looked up just in time to see Fishlegs peer through the door. He was the one who knew me the least, but still a huge smile lit up his face and he hugged me so hard that I struggled to get any oxygen.

"There you are," He said, letting me out of the hug, "We were so worried about you." He searched me up and down, as if to see if there was any physical damage to me. I half thought that he would pull out a thermometer to check my temperature, but he pulled out his phone instead.

"I'm gonna let everyone know that you're alright and back at Val's room – if that's alright with you." He looked at me oppressively.

"That's alright with me." Because they were my friends, and they understood me.

They cared about me.

**AN: Sorry it's a day late (it may be 11:55 pm, but that is still technically Monday and therefore only one day late). last week has been a little crazy. A lot of people in my neighborhood have had trees chopped down so my dad and I volunteered to take the wood off their hands. I ended up smashing my middle finger moving a log and it hurt to type for a good while. I also got MW2: Remastered and have been drowning in nostalgia. **

**What did y'all think of the chapter? I know that some of the characters are inconsistent, but that's kind of what you get writing off the top of your head. On a side note, I think I'm gonna end the story soon. I don't want to leave you guys hanging for at least two months while I'm out without a laptop and very limited reception and besides, I think this story has kind of jumped the shark a little. I mean, it started off as just a one-shot. My next fanfic will most likely be Disremembered Tales, a continuation of Hunt for Bill. I've actually already planned most of it out with plot and character arcs and all that jazz so it should be much more cohesive better paced.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys in a week with another chapter. **


	15. Chapter 15

"I mean, you can't expect him to stay forever – unless you two end up marrying, of course." Ruff said, sipping her coffee while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, "Otherwise he'll have to move out eventually for one reason or another."

"I never said that I expected him to stay forever – or that I expected a proposal," I sputtered, "Only that we've been living with one another for a few months now and I wanted an outsiders view on how much longer he'll stick around. He's stated multiple times that Val was the only reason why he was still in this city and not pursuing his dream job.

"And I hate thinking about it, but what if Val eventually passes away? Do you think that maybe Hiccup would choose to stay still?"

"First off," Ruff said with a somber smile, "As much as I hate to say it, everyone dies eventually. Val is no exception. So eventually the crossroads you're proposing will take place." Ruff let me digest her words for a moment before starting again. Death wasn't a new concept to me, but actually applying it to a real-life situation was something I had very little experience with. The last person to pass away that I was close to was my grandfather, twelve years ago.

"You still want to be a lawyer, right?" She asked. I nodded, but I didn't quite see where she was going with it. She obviously knew that I had been dreaming about being a lawyer since high school; we'd talked about it many times.

"Of course I still want to be a lawyer."

"And to be a lawyer, you have to go to law school." I nodded my head, still not seeing where she was headed with it. "And the nearest law school is two hours away. I don't think you want to drive four hours a day just so that you can still live with a certain boy. If you go to law school, you'll have to move. Why do you try and figure out how Hiccup's every move will affect the future while ignoring your own?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn't think of a counter. She was right, after all. How could I not have connected those dots before? I knew that there weren't any law schools in the vicinity. I knew that I would have to move. And I could logically assume that if I had to move, that Hiccup would choose to stay with his mom instead of coming with me. I was well aware of all these points, but I'd never strung them together. Who was to say that I wouldn't be the reason that Hiccup and I stopped living together?

And why did I care so much about us living together? We weren't married, or even dating for that matter, yet I had spent so much of my free time wondering whether or not my future and his would be intertwined and how his life could affect it, completely overlooking my own actions.

"Look," Ruff said, "All I'm saying is that there might be a reason that none of this occurred to you. Maybe, just maybe, there's more going on in your head that you're willing to admit to anyone. I get it, but don't sweat over what Hiccup will and won't do when no matter what you're leaving anyways."

"But what if Hiccup can't pay his rent and ends up homeless again? What if there's a cold front and he has nowhere to go? What if-"

"Stop that," Ruffnut cut in, "Lets get a few things straight. First off, whatever problems that Hiccup will face should have no effect of your own personal goals. It sounds heartless, but don't let him be the reason that you don't go to law school.

"Second, Hiccup won't go on the streets. Tuffnut and I aren't going anywhere soon, and neither is Fishlegs or Hazel for that matter. You aren't Hiccups only friend. If he ever falls behind on rent or has troubles making ends meet, I can promise that we will do our best to help him. At the very least, he will always be welcome to stay on our dusty old couch."

She was confident that they would be able to look after him, but I remembered how hard it had been to convince Hiccup to live with me all those weeks ago. He had a tendency to keep any problems buried deep within himself and I wasn't one hundred percent positive that Hiccup would even go to her in a time of need. Sure, they hadn't exactly started off on the best of terms, but they had gotten closer since then. Even so, Hiccup was Hiccup and was infuriatingly stubborn over this kind of thing.

Although… Ruff could be even more stubborn and I know that she wouldn't just take no for an answer if he was on the streets. If she found out that Hiccup was on the streets, she would drag him back to her apartment and handcuff him to the bed if she had to. but that was only if she knew about it.

I thought about voicing my doubts, but Ruff's shift was coming up and she had to dip. She generously paid for our drinks, gave me a quick hug, and left me alone with more doubts than I'd had when I walked in.

(Line Break)

It had been three weeks since Christmas, but I still thought about it every day. Hiccup had ran back to the apartment after I'd disappeared. And when I say ran, I really mean he _sprinted_ back to the apartment. He was on the stairs to the front door when Fishlegs had called him.

Val had been right, everyone there was one of the best friends I could ask for. They all cared about me and these last few weeks had been surreal now that it had been pointed out by someone. Before, it was just Ruff and I against the world. And while that was great, now there was a group of friends that loved to hang out.

And it wasn't that everyone hung out with only one other person. In the beginning, I could've been considered the 'bridge' between my friends, but they had all grown closer since Christmas and that wasn't the case anymore. Fishlegs and Hazel met up for lunch last week and Hiccup had gone over to Ruff and Tuff's apartment just to get out of my apartment for a while. There wasn't a hierarchy to our group anymore; it was more of a spider web, with lines of thought connecting everyone to one another.

I stopped by the mailbox system in my apartment complex for the fifth time this week. I'd taken my LSAT a few days after Christmas and my results were set to come in the mail any day.

I shoved my key into the little keyhole and opened the metal door. The hinges creaked as they revealed the assortment of envelopes inside. I shuffled through them; bills, business cards, late Christmas cards from estranged relatives, and a bulky white envelope that had the official LSAT seal.

I rushed up the stairs two at a time; I couldn't wait to open it with Hiccup. He'd really helped me study (cram) the last few days before the test and this letter demanded that it be opened in the presence of multiple people.

I opened the door, fully expecting Hiccup to be there to greet me with that goofy smile he always wore. He wasn't there. The empty apartment slowly killed the smile that had been dominating my face just moments before.

"Hiccup?" I called, just in case he was in the bathroom or something. He didn't respond. Where could he be? He should've gotten off of work over forty-five minutes ago. A quick text revealed that he had ended up hanging out with Hazel after his shift and that he would be out most of the night.

Again.

An ugly feeling wormed its way through my chest. Hiccup had been spending a lot of time with Hazel lately. I was positive that I wasn't jealous, I knew I wasn't. I wasn't a jealous person.

Even so, when dinnertime passed, I couldn't seem to find the motivation to eat anything.

(Line Break)

"Hey Astrid!" Hiccup called cheerfully when he finally came home. There was a light dusting of snow in his hazelnut hair and his red was slightly red thanks to jack frost. Today was one of the last snow days of the winter season. From here on out, it was only mildly cold instead of freezing cold. I was sitting at table with my hands clasped.

"You were sure out late." I said and he glanced at me with a slightly confused gaze.

"It's only 11:30?" He said, a little confused. "I didn't realize that I had a second mom."

I knew it was meant as a light jab, but it stung more than he intended it to. I wasn't trying to be overbearing. I had just wanted to share an experience with him. I had been looking forward to it for days.

"What's this?" Hiccup asked, picking up the opened envelope on the table.

"My test scores." He looked at the pamphlet inside for the first time, but I'd already seen it. In a moment of weakness, I had ripped open the letter. They were much higher than I had expected them to be. I should've been celebrating, but it had felt empty to open them alone.

And I wanted to blame Hiccup. Deep down, I think I knew why, but I wasn't ready to admit it to anyone yet.

"Wow, these scores are amazing," Hiccup said before hesitating and adding, "These are good scores, right?"

"Yeah, they're good," I replied, "Much better than I had thought I would get."

Hiccup came over and hugged me and I cursed myself when a light blush involuntarily spread across my face. I was supposed to be angry at him.

"So," He said, still hugging me, "What's the next step? Where do you go from here?"

_You_.

Not _we_.

Stop it, I chided myself. Now was not the time. Especially since Ruff's words floated through my mind.

"I apply to law schools and hopefully I get accepted. If everything goes according to plan, I should be back in school in the fall." My green attitude slowly dissolved as I realized that all the work I'd put in was finally paying off. I was good enough for law school. I had accomplished something I'd been dreaming of for years. Granted, I still had a long road ahead of me, but at least I was finally at the last major series of hurdles.

"That's amazing!" Hiccup cheered as he spun me around until I forgot that I was upset with him for things that I had no right to be upset about.

And then I remembered.

"So, how was work?" I said, trying to change the subject. I wasn't in the mood to break it to him that there was a chance that I was moving. Hopefully it didn't come off as too obvious that I was hiding something. It was something I usually asked him anyways. He usually responded with some variation of 'it was great' or 'amazing.

"It felt… unfulfilling." Well… that was a new one, "Especially with all of your progress. It just feels like I'm treading water. I want to be doing something that is related to my major, but I haven't even checked for job listings since I started working with Hazel.

"'I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Hazel and she's an amazing person," my body tensed up slightly, but I managed to hide the raging jealousy that definitely wasn't coursing through my veins decently well. After all, Hiccup didn't even notice and just kept talking. "She's really caring and definitely the best boss I've ever had…

"But it's not the job I set out for." He finished, and I could totally see where he was coming from. I had been going through almost the same thing, although I wasn't emotionally and financially tied to this city.

"Well then start looking again," I lightly thumped him in the back of his head to try and get him out of the somber mood he'd gotten in. "There's plenty of time left in your life to do everything you want to. I can help you keep an eye on potential jobs and we can start building you a stellar resume so that when a job pops up, you'll be ready to grab it."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Hiccup said, "I can't leave my mom, now more than ever. Besides, I have friends here now. I have a job, that while it might not be the one I'd imagined for myself, it pays decently and the people are super friendly."

"You literally just said that working there felt empty." I pointed out. He was trying to convince himself to stay, just like with his other job. I couldn't believe it.

"I won't abandon my mother. Not now, not ever. End of discussion." Hiccup stormed off to the couch and laid down. It was a little weird because I could tell he was angry with me, but he couldn't really go anywhere where I couldn't see him in my own apartment.

I could tell he wanted to be alone, though, and went to my room to give him his space.

If Hiccup didn't want to leave this town, then that meant that I would be the reason that we 'split up'. Would I be able to look him in the eyes and tell him that he would either need to find a new roommate or start looking at which bridges were unoccupied.

That being said, I wasn't willing to drop the issue entirely. If Hiccup wouldn't look at his options, then I would. That way at least one of would be aware if a job popped up in the area or something. I couldn't see the harm in looking, so I made a fake account on some database that employers could display any of their job openings on. I made my credentials match Hiccup's as best as possible and made up what I didn't know. After scrolling through lots of jobs that had nothing to do with the interests I'd put down in a job (no I would not like any jobs at a drive through), I'd finally found something that looked halfway decent. Upon closer look, it was much more than halfway.

I couldn't believe I'd found a potential job for Hiccup. The starting pay was almost double what he was making now, which wasn't to say that Hazel lowballed her employees' paychecks; she just had a small company and didn't make as much money as the bigger industries that Hiccup had wanted to work for before his mom fell ill. The reviews of former employees were all positive. It was perfect.

It was far away.

There was no way Hiccup could continue living with me if I showed this to him. And it would be stupid for him not to at least apply for the offer. If he wanted out of his current job, then this was it.

But what about his mother? The whole reason he was still in this town was to look after her. Would this be the thing that convinces him to leave? Could be the one to separate Hiccup from his mother, even if it would greatly benefit him?

On the other hand, Hiccup had already made his decision transparently clear. He could view anything I show him as going behind his back, even though I was only trying to do what was best for him. So then what was the right thing to do? Admit to doing something he doesn't want me to do, or do what I think is best for him?

That would have to be his choice, I decided. I shouldn't try and manipulate his life just because of a stupid little crush that I was definitely _not_ developing on him. I had to actually think about what was best for Hiccup, because, in the end, that's all I wanted for him.

I was actually thinking about how my actions would affect someone else; I'd really changed these past few months, and definitely for the better. Too bad the right decision was always the harder path.

"Hey, Hiccup," I called, "Come in here real quick."

"Yeah, what's up?" He said quasi-causally, leaning onto the door. His face lacked the small smile that he usually wore around me and his hair was still damp from the shower he had just gotten out of. I had to tear my eyes back to my computer screen because he was being so… so Hiccup that it was intoxicating.

"I found a job opening that I think you should take a look at." He came and looked over my shoulder so that he could read the screen better. I could smell the piney shampoo and conditioner he used.

Hiccup grabbed the mouse, scrolled through the job listing for a second, and then closed the tab.

"Look, I appreciate you trying to help," He said curtly, with his face as emotional as a rock, "but I refuse to abandon my mom so all you're doing is tempting me with offers I can't take. It's like tying a carrot just out of reach of a bunny."

He was stressed, I could see it in the bags under his eyes and the rigidity in his body. He ran his hands through his hair and groaned. There was so much on his plate.

"I'm sure your mom wouldn't want to be the sole reason for you staying here," I couldn't help myself; he was just being too stubborn. Admittedly, if there was a good reason to be too stubborn, that was it, but it didn't mean I have to agree with it.

"I never said she was the sole reason for me staying here!" Hiccup started, before his eyes widened slightly. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but let it go. If I have to temporarily give up on my dreams to care for the people that I love, then that is a sacrifice I will gladly make."

"What if it's not temporary?" I countered, getting up so I could look him straight in eyes, "I don't think jobs like this come around very often. It's a great way to get your foot in the door and move up the ladder. If you wait too long then someone else will take it and who knows when another opportunity will present itself like this."

I could feel the sarcasm building up in his throat for a dry retort when his phone rang. He looked a little surprised since very few people had his number (he wasn't the most social person).

_Is this Hiccup Haddock III?_

I could just barely make out the other voice on the line, but the weight of her tone came through clear as day.

"Yes," Hiccup said, cautiously, "Who am I speaking with?"

_My name is Grace Schnieder. I'm a nurse at the Berk County Hospital, off of main street._

The phone slipped out of his hand and smashed against the wood floor. There was a sickening feeling in my stomach and I knew exactly what she was going to say, even before the nurse's words floated from the speakers.

_It is with our deepest sympathies that we are calling to notify Valka Haddock's emergency contact that she has passed away. Doctors declared her time of death at 10:43 pm…"_

The nurse continued to give her condolences, but I couldn't focus on anything but the look on Hiccup's face. It was blank, completely devoid of any emotion, and that scared me more than anything.

I wanted to say something, anything to ease his pain, but nothing came to mind. What do you say to someone who's just lost their mother? And then pile on just how much he loved her. Hell, he'd even gone homeless so that he could continue paying her hospital bills.

And now she was gone.

Forever.

**AN: Sorry about being a week late, this was definitely the hardest chapter I've written for this story. As the days go on without any sort of work and little social interactions, my willpower to do anything productive dwindles. It's like when I only had an hour or two a night, I could sit down and write my heart out, but now that I have the entire day at my disposal, I just keep pushing it off since I know I can. I also rewrote huge sections of this chapter multiple times and I still feel like I'm dropping the ball for the ending of this story, but I had to get the chapter out eventually and this was what it ended up being.**

**As much as I've enjoyed writing this story, I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last one. Unfortunately, I'm going camping with some friends for the next three days, and then the day after I go back I'm headed to the beach with my family to celebrate my sisters graduation from college, so it looks like you guys may be stuck with this cliffhanger for a little while. I will write as much as I can when I can, though.**

**Hope you guys are staying sane out there,**

**See ya!**


	16. Chapter 16

It was hard going back to work. Everyone in the restaurant seemed so happy, so… normal. People came in and ordered food, sometimes by themselves, sometimes in a group.

Sometimes in a family.

They were blissfully unaware of the death of a beloved woman. A woman that loved her son. A woman with a son that loved his mom so much that he endured countless adversities just to look after her when she fell ill. The Earth herself wept when Hiccup was notified of his mother's passing.

And yet, the next day had been bright and sunny, not the slightest trace of remorse from mother earth. Then again, she bore witness to countless deaths every day, maybe she had grown numb to the death of loving mothers.

I, on the other hand, had not. I cried with Hiccup all night and all the next day. I tried over and over to tell him something that would ease the pain in his eyes, but the words wouldn't come. Couldn't come. Because there was absolutely nothing I could say, nothing I could do, that could make him feel better. Instead, I just grieved with him.

He didn't do anything for the rest of that night and the following day. He didn't even speak.

He still hasn't spoken. It was like he took a vow of silence or something. It worried me.

I may be at work physically, but my mind was still at my apartment, with Hiccup. I could see him curled up in a ball on the couch, exactly the way he was when I left to go to work. Booker had offered me another day off of work, but I had politely declined because I just needed to get out of the house for a while. I thought being here could help drag me out of my depression.

It didn't.

"How are you holding up, Astrid?" Books said, coming out of the kitchen. He had been the only person I had told about Hiccup's mom so that I could get yesterday off to comfort Hiccup. I hadn't even told Ruff or Fishlegs or Hazel yet. I could tell Hiccup wanted as few people around him as possible for the moment and they would break down the door to give their condolences. I would wait for him to signal that he was ready to face the outside world.

"I'll be honest, I thought coming here would help, but it's only made things worse," I ran my hand through my greasy hair. I hadn't bothered to shower before showing up for work. "Everyone here is acting like nothing's happened and all I can think about is Hiccup and what must be going through his mind. I can't even imagine my mom passing away, and Hiccup has now lost both his parents. He has no brothers or sisters, either. He's completely alone."

"Aye, that's not true." Book put his meaty hand on my shoulder, "There's more to family than flesh and blood.

"While death is always a tragedy, it is important for those close to the lad to remind that he isn't alone, because I'm sure that's how he feels right now. I'm glad you came in for work, it's always a pleasure to see you, but I think there are places you should be instead. As much as I'm sure he doesn't want to, funeral arrangements have to be made, any living relatives and family friends should be notified. Those tasks are impossible for anyone to do alone; someone has to be strong for him. And that someone is you." He jabbed his finger right in the center of my chest, "You came back too soon, as I'm sure you've realized by now, so I'm granting you another few days off of work because I know that both him and his mother meant a lot to you and there are a still a lot of difficult times yet to come for the both of you."

I thanked him by pulling him into a big hug before grabbing my things and heading out the door.

(line break)

"Thank you for being here with me," Hiccup murmured, "I don't think I could've done this alone."

I looked at him, a little surprised. It was the first time he had spoken aloud since he found out that Val had… passed away.

Everyone else had left the funeral by now but us. Hiccup had only been able to track down his aunt and her family of four to notify them of his mother's passing. Only the aunt had been able to fly in for the funeral because the kids were young and had to attend high school and their father stayed for work. Hiccup hadn't wanted to invite her; he'd said that she didn't deserve to come because the last time they had spoken to each other was right when Val was admitted into the hospital. She hadn't visited then so she had no reason to come now, he'd argued.

I'd hugged him hard through the crying that followed and then gently persuaded him that it was the right thing to at least notify her. There had been a lot of tears shed over the last couple days.

'Look how big you've grown,' she had told Hiccup. It turns out that his aunt wasn't the mean person that he had pictured her as. She had wanted to come and visit her sister more often, but she lived so far away and plane tickets were expensive and she didn't want to leave her family. Now, she would live with this regret on her shoulders for the rest of her life. I could see it in her eyes.

The funeral was the first time that any of our friends had seen Hiccup in days. They had all wanted to come over and grieve together, but Hiccup had politely but firmly refused, only allowing me to see him. Whether or not that was because I was the closest to him or just because he was staying in my apartment was up for debate, but I didn't dare bring it up.

"Of course," I responded in the silence that had fallen since he had last spoken, "This isn't an experience that anyone should have to face on their own."

We stood in front of her grave. Her final resting place. Everyone who attended the funeral had helped bury her, either by tossing in handfuls of dirt or using one of the shovels provided. That had been the hardest part for me personally. It was the last time anyone would get a glimpse of the coffin that housed one of the most wonderful people I had ever met. My dirt had been laced with tears when I placed my last handful of dirt.

"We're here for you," Ruff had said, pulling a numb Hiccup into a hug after Val had been buried, "Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." He hugged her back lightly, like it was just an unconscious reaction. The funeral service had taken a lot out of him.

The others all said something along the same lines before departing one by one. Even though Hazel had a business to run, she was the last one to leave. I thought back to when I had been jealous of how quickly they had become friends; it seemed so insignificant now. I was glad that she would be there for him, because I might not be.

I was still torn about my future and what I was going to do about Law school. I'd wanted to bring it up with Hiccup for a while, but it hadn't been the right time or place to bring it up. And now was definitely not the time either.

"I've been thinking a lot about where to go from here the last few days." Hiccup said, "And a lot about what you told me.

"You were right, my mother shouldn't be the only thing that holds me to this town when there are job opportunities out there that I am qualified for. But even though she's… gone now, I'm still reluctant to leave."

"Well, I think it mig-" I started.

"Let me finish," Hiccup cut in, "I thought long and hard about what else was tying me to this city. It wasn't the job opportunities, it wasn't the food, and it certainly isn't the beautiful weather." I smiled at his attempt at making a joke, but my lips were tight, "It's not because of Ruff and Tuff, or Hazel, or even Fishlegs.

"It's you."

"What?" I sputtered, completely taken by surprise.

"I think the only reason left for me to stay here is you because… because well I think – I know – that I've fallen for you." And with that, he pulled me in for a kiss.

My mind went completely blank. I couldn't think about anything except the fact that his lips were touching mine. He was much gentler than any man I'd been with before; I could only just feel how soft his lips were. He placed his hand on me cheek.

Hiccup pulled back slowly and my eyes fluttered open.

"What was that for?" I breathed. He smiled sadly.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't done that before I left." He said the words, and I heard the words, but it took a moment to actually process the meaning behind the words.

"Leaving?" I repeated.

"I need to go where the money is." Hiccup confirmed while slipping his hand into mine. A perfect fit, "While staying here just got infinitely more tempting, I think we both know that my time in this town is coming to an end. I applied to that job you showed me a few days ago yesterday and they already contacted me about setting up an in-person interview. They're so desperate for me to start they even offered me a place to rest until I'm able to find a more permanent place to stay."

It was what I was fighting for, but to hear him actually do it, especially after he confessed his feelings for me, made everything more difficult. Of course, I wanted him to go; it was definitely the best thing for him financially speaking. If he played his cards right, he would never be homeless. That was fantastic.

But it would mean that I wouldn't see him nearly as often, if at all. I had grown so used to his company that I couldn't even imagine my apartment without him in it. Just thinking about it made me feel lonely. Once again, I didn't voice my thoughts. Today was about Valka.

"How much longer do you want to stay?" Hiccup asked.

"We'll stay here as long as you want." I replied. "Do you want me stay here with you, or would you rather me wait in the car so that you can have some time by yourself?"

Hiccup mulled over his options for a bit before asking for a little time alone. As I walked back to the entrance, I looked down to watch the snow crunch as my feet left little imprints in the snow behind me. There hadn't been any fresh snow in three or four days so I could see trails of people here in the path crisscrossing across the cemetery. Some went right to a gravestone and then right back in the other direction. Other's strolled around seemingly aimlessly. Most graves had no footprints around them at all.

"Hey mom…" Hiccups soft voice floated over the silence and my eyes widened. This was not something I should hear. I started to walk further away, but I could still hear occasional snippets.

"I miss you so much that it hurts… but why does part of me feel relieved that you're gone?... I shouldn't feel that way. I shouldn't…" He broke into tears. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. He had collapsed to one knee with one hand on her grave.

It was heartbreaking. I wanted more than anything to run as fast as I could and scoop him into a hug and hug him tighter than he's ever been hugged before. I wanted to hug him so hard that all his problems would squeeze out of him. But that would mean admitting, albeit accidentally, that I had heard his _very _private conversation.

"I loved you so much that I put my entire life on hold just to look after you. Things got so stressful when I couldn't find jobs and the hospital bills just kept stacking up. You've freed me to go out and explore the world, so why do I hold a grudge against you? I loved you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You've always been there for me growing up, and you did your best to keep a roof over my head and food on the plate. I know it must not have been easy being a single mother.

"I get all of these things, and yet I can't stop myself from breathing in the fresh air."

I couldn't take it anymore. This wasn't a conversation that anyone was meant to hear. I walked until I was well out of earshot.

How many people had had similar conversations in this place? It couldn't be too uncommon. I mean, Hiccup _loved_ his mom, so if even he developed a little resentment towards his mother, then surely other people had in the past too. Would I grow to resent my parents when they got old and weak? What if they got so weak that they couldn't even move? Would I be totally fine with paying for them to be in a nice retirement home when they no longer had the strength to even get out of bed?

What if one of them developed dementia, or Alzheimer's? What would it feel like to look at someone as important to you as a parent, day after day, only to receive a blank stare in return?

I kept telling myself that I would love my parents unconditionally, no matter what happened to them, but there was a big difference the hypothetical and actually living through it. Life was brutal. Death even more so.

My parents were going to die one day. There was nothing I could do to stop it. There wasn't a fountain of youth, or some serum that turned people immortal. They were going to die.

Oh God, my family was going to die. My mom and dad were both in their early fifties. They were past the halfway mark of an average human's life span. It was all downhill for them. Soon, they would lose muscle and get weaker and weaker until their skin became paper thin and you could make out all of their veins

And that would happen to me.

And Ruffnut.

And Tuffnut.

And Hiccup.

One day, not so far away in the grand scheme of things, none of us would be on this Earth anymore.

And there wasn't a single thing any of us could do.

I was standing near one of the only trees in the cemetery with my arms across my chest, still lost in thought, when Hiccup found me.

"I'm ready to go now." He said softly, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes.

I nodded and we walked the rest of the way home in silence. Light shined through the apartment windows, but the apartment seemed duller. It was a good thing I wasn't staying here much longer. The lease was almost up and it wasn't worth renewing. Besides, I didn't want to live here anymore if Hiccup wouldn't be there with me. Instead, I would be staying with the twins for a few weeks until I figured out which schools had accepted me and I could find an apartment in the area.

(Linebreak)

I couldn't believe it. The day had come.

Five days after Val was lowered into the ground, Hiccup was moving out. The whole gang had shown up to help him move everything into a rental van.

The days had both gone by incredibly fast and incredibly slow. Hiccup and I had confessed our feelings for one another, but decided that doing anything more than kissing and hugs was awkward. We had tried to go… further one night, but then I had thought about Hiccup leaving in a few days and suddenly I wasn't in the mood anymore.

"The best part about being homeless is that you don't have too much to move." He joked, trying to keep the mood lighthearted. Ruff laughed, but it was forced.

"I can't believe your actually leaving," Fishlegs said, "It feels like I've only just met you again and we're already going our separate ways again."

"It's not the same as the last time," Hiccup replied, pulling Fishlegs into a very manly bro hug, "There's no bad blood between us and I promise that we'll keep in touch. There's gotta be some way for us to call or facetime to play Dungeons and Dragons together.

"You guys are all amazing friends. I don't want to lose contact with any of you. I promise to come back as often as I can and visit, and you guys are welcome to stop by anytime once I find a place to settle down."

Hiccup took one more look around the area and breathed deeply. He let it slowly and smiled.

"This place changed my life, for better and for worse. You guys have been the best friends I've ever had."

Hiccup pulled Ruff and Tuff in for the first round of his goodbye hugs.

"While we may not have started off on the best of terms, I like to think we ended as friends." Ruff softly slugged him on the shoulder so that she could discretely wipe the singular tear that had started to form in her eye.

"I'm gonna miss you." She said.

"Same here," Tuffnut echoed and gave Hiccup a fist bump.

"I know I've known you the least, Hazel," He said, moving on the next person in our circle, "But you've helped me out a lot and I'll have a lot of fond memories at your little bakery."

"Feel free to stop by any time you pass through," Hazel said, before pulling something out of her backpack, "But speaking of the bakery, I brought something for you.

"It's not much, but I hope you enjoy it."

Hiccup opened the paper bag to reveal a loaf of artisanal bread with a various assortment of seeds on top. He pulled her into another hug.

"This is amazing. Thank you."

Fishlegs was next, and he was openly crying now.

"Don't cry big man." Hiccup said, slapping him heartily on the back before pulling him into a hug. "This isn't goodbye. Not a chance you're getting rid of me that easily."

"I know I know, but that doesn't make me feel any better. I just wish you didn't have to go so far away."

"It's not like I'm moving all the way across the country. I'll make sure to visit when I can."

Fishlegs nodded and Hiccup moved to the last person in the circle.

Me.

"Man, where do I start? You're the reason I'm still standing here. You took me in when no one else would and you helped me get back on my feet, no matter how stubborn I was about it. You've always had my back and there's nothing in the world I could ever do to repay you. But hopefully this is a good start."

Hiccup pulled out a golden necklace from his pocket. There was a small pendant hanging from it. It was a square with a line that ran from one corner to the other and then split into three lines.

"This was given to my mother by my father, and I want to pass it on to you. It's the Nordic symbol for heart. You have shown me compassion. I hope you'll take it as a reminder of me and our relationship."

I tried to refuse, it was his mothers after all, but he put it in my hand and closed my fingers around it.

And then he pulled me in for another kiss.

"This isn't goodbye."

And with that he was gone.

**Fin. **

**AN: I can't believe that this story is finished. Thank you to everyone that has read this story. You have no idea how much I appreciated reading every review and seeing people follow/favorite me and my story. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was definitely a ton of work, but I think it was all worth it in the end. The more I write, the more I find my voice and my style and I'm more than happy to share it with all of you guys.**

**Overall, I'm pretty happy with this story, but let me know what you thought! I'd love to hear if there was anything you really liked, or anything you really didn't. This story was an experiment for me. I made myself follow three guidelines. The story had to only be from Astrid's point of view, each chapter had to have a minimum of 3k words, and I couldn't really plan anything in advance. There are almost no notes or plotlines for this story. It was just what came to mind when I sat down at my laptop. **

**My next story will be Disremembered Tales. It's a continuation of my first story, 'The Hunt for Bill' and I've already posted a teaser chapter on my account if you wanted to check those out.**

**Thank you all once again for making it to the end of this story, you're amazing.**


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